Mathematics at Victoria Community School

At Victoria Community School, our vision is

that all children will become fluent, resilient mathematicians 

with an ability to analyse and communicate information and ideas,

and to tackle a range of practical tasks and real life problems.

Intent

The 2014 National Curriculum for Mathematics aims to ensure that all children:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics
• are able to reason mathematically
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics

At Victoria Community School, we believe that Mathematics is a key skill for everyday life. We aim to develop positive, curious learners who can use and apply their mathematical skills confidently, use mathematical language effectively and be fluent mathematical thinkers. We value every child and aim to ensure that they all achieve their potential in mathematics, regardless of their gender, ethnic or social backgrounds.
 

• Mathematical skills and knowledge are delivered, explored and revisited consistently over time. Children learn important concepts and can make connections within mathematics.
• Children are supported in their understanding through the use of CONCRETE, PICTORIAL and ABSTRACT.
• Fluency, reasoning and problem solving are embedded within all year groups. Children are encouraged to reason, generalise and make sense of solutions.
• A wide range of mathematical vocabulary is modelled and used in the classroom environment, and children use this when discussing their work with others.
• Children work independently to develop resilience and self-confidence when applying their learning skills, as well as collaboratively, where they share ideas and solve problems together.
• Opportunities are presented for children to learn, consolidate and apply the skills learned in a number of different contexts and real-life situations.

Implementation

At Victoria Community School, we use the White Rose Maths Scheme to ensure whole school consistency and progression of skills with the MASTERY approach to mathematics. Mastery involves knowing 'why', 'that' and 'how'.This enables children to build solid foundations for developing their knowledge and understanding of mathematics. It involves using this knowledge appropriately, flexibly and creatively, and being able to apply it in new and unfamiliar situations. Mathematical topics are taught in blocks to enable fluency and the understanding of mathematical concepts to be achieved.

We use the concrete - pictorial - abstract approach to ensure that our children achieve academic mastery in mathematics.

Resources such as NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics) are also used to support the White Rose scheme and provide activities which allow children to demonstrate their depth of knowledge towards the objectives.

Calculation Policy

Our calculation policy reflects the renewed focus from White Rose in providing children with opportunities for practical mathematics before they engage with abstract problems.

Our policy adopts some approaches being taught in countries like Singapore where children experience 'concrete' mathematical activities which they then begin to represent with 'pictorial' representations. Once children are comfortable with these approaches they are then introduced with the more recognisable 'abstract' problems.

The calculation policy show the methods we teach to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems and the progression across the school. Children are taught a range of mental and formal written methods, and encouraged to consider when different methods are appropriate and efficient.

We use these characters to support our learning with fluency, problem solving and reasoning in a fun way!

Planning

When planning for objective coverage, teachers are expected to take the following mastery strategies into account:

• small steps
• ping pong style of delivery
• implementing the concrete, pictorial, abstract (CPA) approach to introducing, exploring and applying mathematical concepts
• applying/using the 'bar model' approach as a strategy for calculations and problems (these are pictorial representations of problems or concepts that can be used for any of the four operations, and in word problems, bar models hold the huge benefit of helping children to visualise the problem)
• considering key questions and mathematical vocabulary at the point of unit planning
• multiple opportunities for verbal and written/drawn reasoning (explaining and using mathematical vocabulary to explain methods or reasoning)
• inclusion of relevant problem-solving opportunities, where children are expected to draw on and apply multiple concepts to address or approach a challenge
• modelling of all skills and approaches
• modelling and sharing of efficient and accurate application of methods
• opportunities to explore concepts/objectives at 'greater depth'
• include all learners, providing relevant support for those with additional needs (educational, medical or otherwise)

In our Maths lessons;

All children are encouraged to explore their understanding at a greater depth through open ended tasks, reasoning and problem solving and investigations. Some children may need more individual support and intervention. Teachers use precise questioning to test conceptual and procedural knowledge.

• Children are taught within mixed ability classes with flexible groupings being used to provide support for children, through peer support, the class teacher or teaching assistant (TA).
• Children have opportunities to work independently, within pairs or as a group.
• Lessons begin with 'fluency starters' that encourage children to develop their mental strategies. They explore efficiency and discuss different ways of working things out.
• Concrete manipulatives are available in every classroom and are accessible for children to use as directed or independently.
• Challenges are readily available for children to move onto at their discretion or as directed by the teacher or TA.
• Teachers and TAs move around the classroom and actively respond, support and challenge children with their learning.
• Through their time at the school, children will develop their written calculation methods in line with the Calculation Policy.
• 'Working Walls' are used to display strategies that are being used and include the key vocabulary being taught in that unit.
• Open questions encourage children to explain their learning, the steps they have made, how they have solved a problem and to prove whether an answer is correct or incorrect. They also encourage children to make use of any new maths vocabulary they have learnt. Sentence stems provide support with phrasing their explanations and answers.
• Opportunities are given to develop multiplication facts, including the use of 'Times Tables Rock Stars' (TTRS) in school and at home.

Mathematical Vocabulary

At Victoria Community School, the majority of our children have English as an additional language (EAL). We understand that mathematical vocabulary is crucial to children's mathematical thinking so we introduce new words in a suitable context, with relevant real objects, mathematical apparatus, pictures or diagrams, explaining their meanings carefully. This links with our 'Word Aware' philosophy. In lessons, talk partners are used to get children using mathematical vocabulary, providing the opportunity for every child to engage in mathematical discussion. Key vocabulary used in a topic is displayed on the working walls. Children are encouraged to use the correct mathematical vocabulary when answering questions and when reasoning.

Mathematical Manipulatives

A mathematical manipulative is a physical object that children or teachers can touch and move, which is used to support the teaching and learning of mathematics. In our lessons, 'Numicon', 'Base 10' and 'Place Value counters' are some of the manipulatives used regularly to support children in engaging with mathematical ideas.

Targets

Quick retrieval of number facts is important for mathematical success. It is likely that children who have problems retrieving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts, including number bonds and multiples, will have some difficulty understanding and use mathematical concepts they encounter later on in their lessons.

Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFs) are our half termly targets which children learn and practise in school and at home. They are tested at the beginning, middle and end of the half term and progress is tracked carefully. Some children will receive individual support, such as 'precision teaching', to support their learning.

Marking

• Feedback is given directly to pupils during the lesson when it is required (where possible).
• Pupils take ownership of their work and make corrections so that they get the most meaning out of their learning (with guidance from their peers, teacher or TA).
• Teachers and TAs observe and questions pupils fluidly, intervening where necessary, and give either personal or group feedback depending on the type and frequency of misconception.
• Peer discussion and feedback promotes mathematical discussion and encourages pupils to collaborate on solutions.
• Time is provided at the end of each lesson for children to mark and assess their learning.
• Specific misconceptions are addressed in the next day's lesson.

Assessment

Formative assessment is carried out on a daily basis and provides teachers with up to date and accurate information about the specifics of what children do and do not know. This information allows teachers to modify teaching and learning activities to improve children's attainment.

Summative assessments focus on the outcome at the end of a unit or given period of time.

• White Rose - carried out following completion of each unit
• PUMA (Rising Stars) - carried out termly and provide a standardised score for each child
• SATs - Year 2 and Year 6 only
• Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) - Year 4

Monitoring

Monitoring of mathematics is carried out in different ways. 

• Lesson observations - quality of feedback (teacher-pupil, pupil-pupil and pupil-teacher), and the extent to which this helps to develop pupils' mathematical understanding.
• Pupil voice - retention of key facts and vocabulary, explanation of methods...
• Book scrutiny - progression with learning
• Learning walks
• Assessments
• Pupil Progress meetings each term
• Senior Leaders - data analysis

Home/School links

We encourage parents and carers to support their children's mathematical learning. Each term, we invite parents/carers to join in with one of our maths lessons. This enables them to see our teaching methods and also helps with ways to support learning at home. They help parents/carers to encourage their children to value and develop confidence in mathematics. 

Cultural Capital

Staff CPD

• Termly cluster meetings
• Staff meetings/INSET time

Impact

• Confident and enthusiastic children who are resilient, fluent mathematicians.
• Children taking greater ownership of their learning.
• Children able to discuss misconceptions and work together to fix them.
• Improvements in the quality of mathematical understanding.
• Development of mathematical language.
• Interactive and engaging mathematics, with content made relevant to children's real-world experiences and contextualised thus to support consolidation and retention of knowledge and skill.

• Approach and response to reasoning activities improving term on term, with the expectation that by the end of the year, children are happy to accurately define and use mathematical vocabulary and use stem sentences to complete mathematical statements and/or reasoning.

• Regular and ongoing assessments inform teaching, as well as intervention, to support and enable the success of each child.

• Most children making expected or accelerated progress across the school.

• Increasing proportion of children demonstrating greater depth at the end of each phase.

• High standards,  with achievement at the end of Key Stage 2 above the national average.

USEFUL LINKS