Intent

At Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery, we believe that all children can succeed in Mathematics. Practical experiences and a positive attitude will ensure a solid understanding is gained which will foster a life-long love of maths. During their time with us, children will develop the fluency, knowledge and understanding to use mathematics as a tool for everyday life. Our children are aware of the importance of Mathematics in everyday life because, as well as teaching the National Curriculum objectives for each year group, we embed maths within the whole curriculum.

We want children at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery to enjoy learning maths, which comes through a belief in their own ability to achieve successfully within the challenges they undertake.  In maths, we believe this is achieved when children are fluent in their understanding of number and in their calculation skills. In the words of Paul Halmos, “The only way to learn maths is to do maths.” With this confidence, they can apply what they know to reason and explain their thinking and to solve problems, developing mastery.

Implementation

At Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery, we use a mastery approach to the teaching of maths, pulling on the NCETM’s ‘five big ideas’, to ensure fluency, reasoning and problem solving.

We aim to do this by:

• Ensuring our children have access to a high-quality maths curriculum that is both challenging and enjoyable.
• Ensuring children are confident mathematicians who are not afraid to take risks.
• Allowing opportunities to revisit and deepen pupils understanding around concepts and aspects of mathematics allowing them to know more and remember more.
• Employing a variety of mastery strategies to ensure fluency and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• Ensuring all children learn using a range of resources, which support a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach guiding them through their understanding of mathematical concepts.

The mathematics curriculum at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery has been carefully planned out in our Knowledge and Skills Progression document, which shows clear sequence of learning from Nursery to Year 2. This document is used when planning maths lessons, taking into consideration a mastery approach and ensuring that there are small steps to success.

In addition, children in Reception and KS1 benefit from following the NCETM Mastering Number scheme which develops a deeper understanding of number composition, enables children to learn and remember number facts and make connections.

In the Mathematics Subject Report (2023), OFSTED recognised ‘NCETM’s Mastering Number is particularly helpful and school’s where it is used, pupils were successful and received lots of praise’.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Building on the foundations built in Nursery, maths is included in daily routines which include counting songs, rhymes and stories. Children in reception use NCETM’s Mastering Number for most maths sessions. These whole class sessions are short, hands on and delivered using a range of manipulatives. Additional shape, space and measure sessions ensure all maths curriculum areas are taught. Throughout provision in EYFS, children have the time to explore and practise the skills they have been taught through playful interactions with staff and peers. Our knowledgeable staff identify children’s strengths and next steps and target these in play during Discovery Time. Children who are identified as requiring additional support to understand mathematical concepts are targeted in their play.

Year 1

Children in Year 1 receive a whole class input using a mastery approach, then work in smaller groups to consolidate and deepen understanding. Children also have the opportunity for independent application in provision, as well as revisiting prior learning and mathematical concepts to help them to remember more.

Year 2

Children in Year 2 also use the whole class mastery approach, in both the input and when completing tasks. Lessons are planned so that all children are learning the same skills, but adaptations support whole class learning.

To support mental arithmetic knowledge and skills, children in Year 1 and Year 2 have regular 10-minute Mastering Number sessions where they have an opportunity to deepen their understanding of number, make connections to previous learning, practise problem solving and fluency. These sessions are often practical using concrete apparatus such as Rekenreks, double sided counters and counting frames.

Impact

By the end of their journey at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery, children will:

• Have an increased understanding of Maths and the importance of Maths to the world around them.
• Have developed a great willingness to participate and become increasingly involved in all mathematics lessons.
• Demonstrate increased confidence in their own ability and skills in all areas of mathematics.
• Be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of mathematical concepts, ensuring that children achieve expected standards at the end of Year 2.
• Confidently and accurately be able to use mathematical language. This demonstrates impact of our ‘mastery’ approach to mathematics.

Through pupil voice and monitoring, the children at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery value and understand the importance of maths. Teaching for mastery ensures that all children experience challenge and success in maths, have quick recall of facts and procedures and ensures that they have the ability to recognise relationships and connections in maths.

Children at Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery will be ready to progress to the next stage of their learning and be ambitious in their own ability to be successful mathematicians. Children will be resilient, independent learners with curious minds, who have secure mathematical foundations and an ambitious desire to keep improving.

Below, you will find our maths curriculum overview. This shares our vision for maths at our school, what the children will learn about in maths lessons, the end of year expectations for EYFS and Key Stage 1 and the enrichment opportunities that we provide in maths.