Mathematics at SS Mary and John Catholic Primary School
Our aim is to equip all pupils with the skills and confidence to solve a range of problems through fluency with numbers and mathematical reasoning. Children are encouraged to see the mathematics that surrounds them every day and enjoy developing vital life skills in this subject.
The three aims of the National Curriculum (Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving) are addressed every day within our maths lessons through anchor tasks, learning, guided practice, independent tasks and challenges.
At SS Mary and John Catholic Primary School, we are embedding the teaching maths for mastery approach in order to help our pupils develop a deep and secure knowledge and understanding of mathematics.
Our curriculum drivers of being curious, being resilient, being faithful and understanding the possibilities are used with our daily lessons. We challenge our children during maths lessons in order to deepen their curiosity, stretch their mathematical thinking and support them believing in themselves so they can build their resilience to learning.
What do our Mastery Maths Lessons include?
Anchor task - at the start of each lesson, all children are encouraged to explore a problem themselves to see what they already know.
CPA approach - The use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and recording of abstract number sentences takes place within a block of learning.
Stem sentences and correct use of vocabulary - teachers plan effective stem sentences that will aid the children's thinking and learning. They model the correct use of mathematical vocabulary, relevant to their year group, encouraging the children to use this language in their discussions and written work.
Reasoning and deep understanding - pupils are given the opportunity to think deeply about the maths, make connections and logically explain their thinking by drawing upon what they already know. We display reasoning cards on our working walls to support our children with verbal and written reasoning responses.
Questions to challenge thinking - teachers use questioning throughout every lesson to check understanding. Challenging questions will be asked to stretch the children’s knowledge such as: How do you know? Can you prove it? Can you explain it? Can you represent it in a different way?
Discussion - pupils have the opportunities to talk to their peers to discuss their learning and explain their thinking.
Catch Up - catch up is planned by class teachers. In mathematics new learning is built upon previous understanding, so in order for learning to progress pupils need to be supported and areas of difficulty must be dealt with as and when they occur.
Marking in Maths
Our current marking policy states that staff use live marking in mathematics. Independent tasks are completed and marked throughout the lesson as we believe that the most valuable feedback is given during a lesson.
Where verbal feedback has been given to a pupil, such as number formation, incorrect place value or an error with a calculation, a note of the feedback will be made in their book with the letters V.F.
Close The Gap tasks are set when teachers feel there are gaps in learning that need to addressed and pupils will complete these questions prior to the next lesson.
Long Term Plans
Please click on your child's year group below to see what objectives are being taught throughout the year. The yearly overview outlines what units are being taught each term. The termly overviews show the objectives that will be taught for each unit. These objectives derive directly from the National Curriculum.