Maths
Mrs Atkinson
Maths Lead
Our vision for maths at Gillshill Primary School is to encourage all of our pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of this subject. We aim for ALL pupils to enjoy and achieve in becoming confident, independent mathematicians.
We believe that a broad and balanced maths education is the entitlement of all pupils, we want children to ‘master’ mathematics throughout their school lives and beyond.
At Gillshill Primary we follow the White Rose Maths Scheme. The children from EYFS-Year 5 are taught in whole class ability groups and have a classroom support assistance to provide tailored intervention. Children in Year 6 are differentiated into ability groups to allow a more comprehensive teaching timetable which will support their Year 6 SATs. In advance of any maths unit 
being taught, all of the children will complete a pre-assessment on the unit they are about to study. The results are analysed which will inform future planning and intervention. This is to ensure children receive the best access to quality first teaching.
Each maths lesson is carefully planned and resourced to follow the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract (CPA) approach. Firstly, children are able to gain knowledge of mathematical concepts through the development of understanding due to the use of concrete apparatus. Once they feel confident, children move to pictorial understanding through visualising their mathematics with pictorial images. Finally, children move to develop their abstract understanding of mathematics with written number calculations. At each stage, children are given the opportunity to develop their depth of knowledge and understanding with tailored reasoning and problem solving.
Our intention is to develop children into mastery mathematicians Wherever possible maths is incorporated through a thematic approach which ensures children are thoroughly engaged and enriched. This also helps to connect mathematical concepts and support the transference of skills.
The impact of the maths curriculum is measured through regular book scrutinies, subject specific learning walks, teacher and pupil discussions and data analysis. The school leadership team, subject leaders and governors relentlessly drive the maths curriculum forward and monitor it vigorously.
INTENT
Maths at Gillshill Primary School is informed by the National Curriculum and provides broad and balanced learning opportunities for our children that are ambitious, exciting and creative. Children become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics, are able to reason mathematically and can solve problems by applying their Mathematics. At Gillshill Primary School these skills are embedded within Maths lessons and developed consistently over time. We are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts.
Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are, by necessity, organised into apparently distinct domains, but pupils should make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.
In line with the National Curriculum 2014, our curriculum is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning. The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on.
IMPLEMENTATION
From the beginnings of maths teaching, in our EYFS, children are exposed to mathematical talk and have lots of opportunities to explore mathematical concepts showing the interconnection to the seven areas of learning and development.
We build strong learning blocks within ‘Number’. The children develop a deep understanding of numbers to 10; including the composition of each number, subitising and automatic recall. Within ‘Numerical Patterns’ the understanding of pattern, quantities and distribution is widely explored.
The teaching of maths at Gillshill Primary School is carefully designed, planned and implemented to ensure that all pupils are challenged to fulfil their potential. We follow the National Curriculum and use the White Rose Schemes of Work as a guide to support teachers with their planning and assessment. Children are taught through targeted differentiated, small group and mixed ability whole class lessons. Maths lessons are rich in resources, vocabulary, questioning and content, enabling them to develop the skills of mastery within the objectives of the National Curriculum.
Maths lessons are taught discretely to give depth and breadth to the curriculum area. At the beginning of a maths topic children will complete a pre assessment to inform the teachers planning and also where support and intervention may be needed. Planned lessons are designed to build on prior knowledge and underpinned by basic skills. We use small steps to deepen the children’s understanding of mathematical ideas. At the start of a lesson you will see planned opportunities to practise counting and basic number work and then a starter task to revisit and reinforce prior learning and/or key skills. We teach maths through the concepts of varied fluency, reasoning and problem solving and then we give children opportunities to show mastery with greater depth. Our pupils are taught to make links between the three approaches to learning. Pupils learn concepts through the use of: concrete resources (manipulatives), pictorial representations and then move into the abstract. Wherever possible maths is incorporated through a thematic approach which ensures children are thoroughly engaged and enriched. This also helps to connect mathematical concepts and support the transference of skills.
IMPACT
The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems to demonstrate their deeper understanding of a concept and show a secure understanding of mathematical vocabulary. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on.
The impact of the maths curriculum is measured throughout each lesson. Formative assessment takes place and feedback is given to the children through positive marking, targets and next step response tasks to ensure they are meeting the specific learning objective. Teacher’s then use this assessment to influence their planning and ensure they are providing a mathematics curriculum that will allow each child to progress. The teaching of maths is also monitored by the subject leaders and SLT members alongside the teachers and Governors through book scrutinies, subject specific learning walks, lesson observations, teacher and pupil discussions and data analysis. Summative data collection is made at four points over the year and the results from both formative and summative assessments are then used to determine children’s progress and attainment. At key assessment points majority of the children will achieve higher then local and national expectations with our pupil progress score being average or above average.
As a result of our Maths teaching at Gillshill Primary school, you will see engaged and confident children who are challenged and can talk about Maths and their learning. They can make links between Mathematical topics and are ready for the next stage in their mathematical journey.
