At Halam C of E Primary School, our intention in Maths is to ensure that all children: Become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics, are able to reason mathematically, can solve problems by applying their Mathematics, embed their skills within Maths lessons and develop these skills 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. We use a Mastery approach to teaching Maths and use the White Rose teaching resources, along with other Mastery resources such as the NCETM and Mastering number programmes.

EYFS - Maths involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measure. Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

Key Stage 1 - The principal focus of maths teaching in key stage 1 is to ensure that children develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This involves working with numerals, words and the four operations, including with practical resources [for example, concrete objects and measuring tools]. Children should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching involves using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money. By the end of Year 2, children should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency. Children should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.

Lower KS2 – The main focus of maths teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that children develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers. Children should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching ensures that children draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. Children should be able to use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number. By the end of Year 4, children should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table. Children should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

Upper KS2 - The main focus of maths teaching in upper key stage 2 is to ensure that children extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This, in turn, helps to develop the connections that children make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio. Children should develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, children are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number. Teaching should also ensure that children classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them. By the end of Year 6, children should be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages. Children should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.

Children will understand that maths is essential to everyday life and that their mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, and create a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. The fluency that they develop as well as their ability to reason and find solutions to problems will ensure that they are confident to approach problems that they will encounter. All children should have the opportunity to join in and engage with every maths lesson, no matter what their level, and given the tools to reach their full potential.

Teachers will feel confident in teaching Maths through relevant CPD/lesson observations/learning walks/feedback/clear routines. Teachers will assess Maths at the end of each topic of work, using the White Rose end of topic test. Assessments will also take place at the end of each term using the White Rose termly test. This will then allow teachers to see the knowledge and skills that still need to be embedded. Final end of year assessments are made using assessment criteria that has been developed by White Rose in line with the national curriculum.