‘‘Maths may not teach us how to add love or minus hate, but it gives us every reason to hope that every problem has a solution.’’

– Albert Einstein.

Maths at Washingborough Academy

Intent

The National Curriculum states that:

‘Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology, and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.’

The aims of the curriculum are to ensure that all pupils:

Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Maths at Washingborough Academy aims to inspire and encourage children to become able, confident, and independent mathematicians. We firmly believe that being a fluent mathematician is essential to everyday life.

Through the delivery of an engaging curriculum, we nurture curiosity and excitement for all children and each lesson builds on a conceptual understanding of mathematical content, ensuring our children enhance their ability to discuss, explain, and challenge their own understanding effectively. Our mastery approach towards the curriculum develops children’s resilience and promotes an encouraging and inspiring classroom environment, where each child is given the opportunity to develop their fluency, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Our ambition for all pupils is that they can make rich connections between mathematical concepts and develop their fluency, reasoning, and competence in solving increasingly complex problems as they transition through each key stage.

Through the teaching of our values-based curriculum, we encourage our children to develop a growth mindset where they understand that setbacks are a positive learning tool that can support their progress. We believe that maths is for everyone, and we expect that all children will leave Washingborough Academy with an appreciation and enthusiasm for maths, and a positive relationship with number which will ensure they are fully prepared for their future.

To support our pupils’ understanding, we adopt a teaching for mastery approach using the five key strands outlined by the NCETM (2017):

A coherent approach where lessons are broken into small, connected steps
Use of representations to expose mathematical structure
Encouraging mathematical thinking, talk and reasoning
Quick and efficient recall of facts and procedures to provide fluency
Variation of concepts to promote deeper understanding of mathematical concepts, relationships, and structures

Implementation

We appreciate the value of creating a coherent journey for all children, in line with the National Curriculum.

At Washingborough Academy, our Mathematics curriculum meets the key aims outlined in our intent through the use of the White Rose Maths scheme. The content of the scheme is organised into blocks and small steps to ensure depth and breadth of learning for all pupils.

Yearly Overview Example

Each year group follows the White Rose Maths curriculum structure overview where small, cumulative steps form the foundations for an enriched mathematical understanding. The curriculum is taught on a yearly cycle, tailored to each year group’s objectives.

Within daily lessons, pupils engage in starter activities, including Flashback Four, to develop their mathematical fluency, build on their prior learning, and consolidate their understanding of a range of concepts.

Early Years and Key Stage One also follow the NCETM Mastering Number programme. This is a daily learning opportunity with a focus of building solid mathematical foundations using pictorial and concrete representations.

Across all year groups, children will encounter a range of representations, structures, and patterns to consolidate their knowledge and understanding. This will coincide progressive content using concrete manipulatives, pictorial representations, and abstract methodologies. This forms a fundamental strand of teaching for mastery for all learners.

All our pupils are given the opportunity to communicate their mathematical ideas with precision and accuracy using appropriate terminology and stem sentences to support them. Pupils are encouraged to explain their ideas and make generalisations to enhance their understanding in a systematic and coherent way. Teachers use deep, open-ended questioning that stretches and challenges pupils of all abilities.

All pupils are provided with a range of opportunities for reasoning and problem solving in line with the White Rose Maths curriculum.

Impact

The impact of our maths curriculum is measured in a variety of ways:

Discussions with children during lessons
Targeted questioning during lessons
Purposeful marking of children’s work
Pupil’s voice
Book studies
Learning snapshots
Formative assessments using ‘end of unit’ trackers
Termly summative assessments
Weekly times tables quizzes
Maths awards to celebrate achievements, including with Times Tables Rock Stars and Numbots

By the time children leave Washingborough Academy, they will:

Be confident in calculating with number
Be able to apply their knowledge to real-life scenarios
Be able to articulate and challenge methods, carefully explaining their reasoning
Have developed a resilient mindset and be unafraid of using concepts such as trial and error to aid their progress
Be able to represent their method using a range of visual representations
Be able, confident, and independent mathematicians

‘‘In Mathematics, the art of proposing a question must be held of higher value than solving it.’’

– Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor

Below you will also find the Maths Medium-Term Plan (MTP) of each key stage: