Subjects

INTENT

At Old Buckenham Primary School,  pupils of all ages will acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject of maths.

Children in Reception will learn the learn the foundational knowledge - with a heavy emphasis on cardinality and counting, comparison and composition - that they will lean on heavily for future learning in KS1, KS2 and beyond.

Throughout their time at primary school, children will become fluent in the fundamentals and through the use of a mastery-based approach will build a deep, secure and long-lasting understanding of a range of mathematical processes, allowing them to apply their learning in a range of interconnected areas. We aim to build pupils’ confidence in their mathematic ability, encouraging them to progress through their education with a growing repertoire of skills that allows them to tackle increasingly complex mathematical situations. Children will be confident in the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and their application to abstract concepts (CPA).

Implementation

Staff at Old Buckenham deliver the maths curriculum principally through the White Rose Curriculum Maps. This is based upon the ‘Shanghai’ model of mastery teaching. 

What does mastery look like at Old Buckenham Primary School?

Our definition of deep understanding is that a pupil really understands a mathematical concept, idea or technique if he or she can:

• Describe it in their own words;

• Represent it in a variety of ways (e.g. using concrete materials, pictures and symbols)

• Explain it to someone else;

• Make up their own examples (and non-examples) of it;

• See connections between it and other facts or ideas;

• Recognise it in new situations and contexts;

• Make use of it in various ways, including in new situations

What does a typical lesson look like at Old Buckenham Primary School?

• Pupils are taught through whole-class interactive teaching.  On the whole, the focus is on all pupils working together on the same lesson content at the same time. This ensures that all can master concepts before moving to the next part of the curriculum sequence, allowing no pupil to be left behind.
• If a pupil fails to grasp a concept or procedure, this is identified quickly, and early in class support ensures the pupil is ready to move forward with the whole class during the lesson and in follow up lessons.
• Lesson design identifies the new mathematics that is to be taught, the key points, the difficult points and a carefully sequenced journey through the learning.
• In a typical lesson pupils sit facing the teacher and the teacher leads back and forth interaction, including questioning, short tasks, explanation, demonstration, and discussion.
• Teachers plan to include a discrete focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving
• Key Number Facts are learnt to ensure automaticity to avoid cognitive overload in the working memory and enable pupils to focus on new concepts
• Teachers adopt a concrete, pictorial, abstract (CPA) approach to working
• Teachers positively use mistakes / misconceptions, in discussions and in the learning environment
• Teachers participate in regular book scrutinies, learning walks, planning audits and pupil perception sessions.
• Teachers engage in whole-school professional development.
• The school raises the profile of mathematics – Maths Café and whole-school challenges to motivate children and celebrate their learning.
• Where appropriate, teachers incorporate social, moral, spiritual and cultural (SMSC) elements in our teaching.

Impact

In terms of assessment, teaching and support staff use formative (ongoing) assessment before, during and after lessons, deciding how to pitch their delivery to ensure all pupils are supported or challenged.

Summative Assessments

In EYFS children are assessed against the EYFS curriclum at the end of the academic year.  Teacher carry out observations of pupils throughout the year, which demonstrate children's knowledge and understanding of maths within their learning environment.  Observations are recorded on Tapestry along with teacher assessments which provide ‘point in time assessments’ which are recorded on the school’s tracking system.  

In Year 1, teachers can choose to use the White Rose Maths 'End of Unit Tests' to check in on pupils progress across a unit / block of learning.  Rising Stars NTS tests are used at the end of the academic year (Summer 2) along with teacher assessments which provide ‘point in time assessments’ which are recorded on the school’s tracking system.  

For children in Years 2-Year 5, teachers use the White Rose Maths 'End of Unit Tests' to check in on pupils progress across a unit / block of learning.  Rising Stars NTS tests are used at the end of each term (Autumn 2, Spring 2 & Summer 2) along with teacher assessments  which provide ‘point in time assessments’ which are recorded on the school’s tracking system.  

Children in Year 6 use the White Rose Maths 'End of Unit Tests' to check in on pupils progress across a unit / block of learning. Past SATs papers are used at the end of each term (Autumn 2, Spring 2) along with teacher assessments which provide 'point intime' assessment whch are recorded on the school's tracking system.

Assessments are recorded, analysed using Question Level Analysis and used to inform practice and planning moving forward.

 Teachers use the data from the assessments to decide which pupils may need to revisit particular content, perhaps through support staff interventions, and which pupils are able to be pushed on in their learning.