Mathematics

Subject Lead:   Mrs Pezzaioli

Vision:

 

Using Power Maths, and with support of the Maths Hub, we would like to develop a whole school approach that: 

• Promotes a love of Maths for all pupils and staff. 

• Has a consistent, progressive curriculum which has small steps and carefully sequenced lessons. The lessons will encourage a deep and meaningful understanding of Maths. 

• Teaches for mastery. We will achieve this through all of the children, doing all of the work, all of the time and following the key principles of teaching of mastery. 

• Creates active learners, who can use a growth mindset to overcome barriers to learning. 

• Encourages fluent mathematicians who can reason and apply conceptual understanding accurately. 

 

Intent
 

At Hassell Community Primary School, we aim to equip children with the Maths knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed in a world where we are constantly required to solve mathematical problems.

Maths at Hassell encourages children to explore, discuss and reason about elements of Maths in real life contexts and scenarios.  All children are encouraged and taught to look at the structure of mathematics, making links between the strands and understanding that maths is a transferable skill which is required in all walks of life and work settings.  We aim to develop both procedural and conceptual understanding, along with the knowledge of when and how to utilise these.

Children are encouraged to be brave and resilient, and not to fear being wrong; as this is where the best learning happens.  Alongside this, we have developed a culture where children will challenge both their peers and the adults, backing up their reasoning with valid mathematical understanding.

 

Implementation

 

Teachers create a positive and safe, yet challenging environment, where children are encouraged to take risks and are not afraid to make mistakes.  When they do make mistakes, they are encouraged to explore their thinking to evaluate where they went wrong.

Maths at Hassell is taught using a Mastery approach, supported by use of Power Maths as the main scheme.  Children are, as much as possible, kept together, working in mixed ability groups on the same objective as their peers in the same year group.  All children have access to the same activities and problems, with ’differentiation’ being shown by the deepening level of understanding that children show.  Reasoning flows through every lesson, from the opening problem through to the children’s independent activities.

Alongside this, daily flashback sessions allow children to revisit prior learning, supporting its place in the long-term memory. 

 

Impact

 

• Children will achieve age related expectations in Maths at the end of their cohort year.
• Children will develop a love for Maths.
• Children will have a deep, holistic understanding of mathematical concepts.
• Children will be able to make links between mathematical concepts.
• Children will develop skills that are relevant in a real life context.
• Children will talk about maths confidently and clearly, using sound mathematical vocabulary.

Maths Curriculum Overview (click badge)

Additional Information about our approach:

What is Power Maths?

Power Maths is a resource that has been designed for UK schools based on research and extensive experience of teaching and learning around the world and here in the UK. It has been designed to support and challenge all pupils, and is built on the belief that EVERYONE can learn maths successfully.

How does this support our approach to teaching?

The philosophy behind Power Maths is that being successful in maths is not just about rote-learning procedures and methods, but is instead about problem solving, thinking and discussing. Many people feel they were taught maths in a way that was about memorising formulas and calculation methods, then having to apply them without any real understanding of what or how these methods actually work. Power Maths includes practice questions to help children develop fluent recall and develop their conceptual understanding. Power Maths uses Growth Mindset characters to prompt, encourage and question children. They spark curiosity, engage reasoning, secure understanding and deepen learning for all.

How do the lessons work?

Each lesson has a progression, with a central flow that draws the main learning into focus. There are different elements, informed by research into best practice in maths teaching, that bring the lessons to life:

• Discover – each lesson begins with a problem to solve, often a real-life example, sometimes a puzzle or a game. These are engaging and fun, and designed to get all children thinking.
• Share – the class shares their ideas and compares different ways to solve the problem, explaining their reasoning with hands-on resources and drawings to make their ideas clear. Children are able to develop their understanding of the concept with input from the teacher.
• Think together – the next part of the lesson is a journey through the concept, digging deeper and deeper so that each child builds on secure foundations while being challenged to apply their understanding in different ways and with increasing independence.
• Practice – now children practice individually or in small groups, rehearsing and developing their skills to build fluency, understanding of the concept and confidence.
• Reflect – finally, children are prompted to reflect on and record their learning from each session and show how they have grasped the concept explored in the lesson.

 

What if my child needs a confidence boost, or wants to be challenged further?

Power Maths is based on a ‘small-steps’ approach, sometimes called a mastery approach. This means that the concepts are broken down so that your child can master one idea without feeling over-whelmed. There are a range of fluency, reasoning and problem solving questions in each lesson that are designed to support the different needs and confidence levels within a class, while at the same time fostering a spirit of working and learning together. Each lesson includes challenge questions for those children who can delve deeper into a concept.

Inclusion:
Teachers should set high expectations for every pupil. They should plan stretching work for pupils whose attainment is significantly above the expected standard. They have an even greater obligation to plan lessons for pupils who have low levels of prior attainment or come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Teachers must also take into account the needs of pupils whose first language is not English.