CalvertonPrimary School

Mathematics

Policy

THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICS

Mathematics is a tool for everyday life. It is a whole network of concepts and relationships which provide a way of viewing and making sense of the world. It is used to analyse and communicate information and ideas and to tackle a range of practical tasks and real life problems. It also provides the materials and means for creating new imaginative worlds to explore.

Using the Programmes of Study from the National Curriculum and the National Numeracy Strategy Framework for Teaching Mathematics it is our aim to develop:

a positive attitude towards mathematics and an awareness of the fascination of mathematics

competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge, concepts and skills

an ability to solve problems, to reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately.

initiative and an ability to work both independently and in cooperation with others

an ability to communicate mathematics

an understanding of how important mathematics is in everyday life and for future career options

an ability to use and apply mathematics across the curriculum and in real life

an understanding of mathematics through a process of enquiry, investigation and experiment

TEACHING MATHEMATICS

Teaching time

To provide adequate time for developing numeracy skills each class teacher will provide 5 daily mathematics lessons per week. This may vary in length but will usually last for about 45 to 60 minutes. Additional mathematics may be taught within other subject lessons when appropriate.

Reception teachers should plan and incorporate daily mathematical activities into their timetable for both indoor and outdoor classrooms. Towards the end of Reception teachers aim to draw the elements of a daily mathematics lesson together so that by the time children move into year 1 they are familiar with the 45 minute lesson.

Class Organisation

From year 1, all pupils will have a dedicated daily mathematics lesson at least 4 days per week. Within these lessons there will be a good balance between whole-class work, group teaching and individual practice. The fifth daily lesson will be used for investigative and challenge activities which give children the opportunity to use and apply their skills in mathematical activities.

A Typical Lesson

A typical 45 to 60 minute lesson in year 1 to 6 will be structured like this:

  • Oral work and mental calculation. This will involve whole-class work to rehearse, sharpen and develop mental and oral skills.
  • The main teaching activity. This will include both teaching input and pupil activities and a balance between whole class, grouped, paired and individual work.
  • A Plenary. This will involve work with the whole class to sort out misconceptions, identify progress, to summarise key facts and ideas and what to remember, to make links to other work and to discuss next steps.

Further guidance on what is expected in a typical lesson at CalvertonPrimary School can be read in the Teaching and Learning Policy.

Links between mathematics and other subjects

Mathematics contributes to many subjects within the primary curriculum and opportunities will be sought to draw mathematical experience out of a wide range of activities. This will allow children to begin to use and apply mathematics in real contexts.

SCHOOL POLICY AND THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

Knowledge Skills and Understanding

Teachers of the Reception children base their teaching on objectives in the Framework for Reception; this ensures that they are working towards the ‘Early Learning Goals for Mathematical Development’.

At KS1 and KS2 teachers use the unit planning from the Primary Framework for Mathematics to ensure that all parts of the National Curriculum Programme of Study are taught.

Breadth of Study

Through careful planning and preparation we aim to ensure that throughout the school children are given opportunities for:

practical activities and mathematical games

problem solving

individual, group and whole class discussions and activities

open and closed tasks

a range of methods of calculating e.g. mental, pencil and paper and using a calculator

working with computers as a mathematical tool

Scheme of Work

Our school scheme of work is a working document and as such is composed of ongoing plans produced on a week by week basis. This is developed from the Primary Framework for Mathematics and takes into consideration the needs of our children. Teacher should follow the Cumbria Grid for Learning resources which have been provided for them to ensure that they are using creative and practical activities.

Cross-Curricular Learning

We follow a creative curriculum at CalvertonPrimary School and thus teachers are encouraged to teach topics and projects which enable the children to use the skills they have learnt across all subjects within others. Throughout the whole curriculum opportunities exist to extend and promote mathematics. Teachers seek to take advantage of all opportunities and build in cross curricular opportunities wherever possible.

TEACHERS’ PLANNING AND ORGANISATION

Each class teacher, in close collaboration with their year group partner, is responsible for the planning and teaching of mathematics within their own class.

Teacher’s planning expectations for mathematics are as follows:

  • Medium Term planning matrix for each of the 6 half terms in each academic year.
  • Weekly planning grids for daily mathematics lessons with evaluation. Including 4 teaching lessons and 1 investigative lesson per week.
  • All planning to be regularly and systematically saved onto the school’s MLE website with clear labelling.

The mathematics coordinator can always be called on to give guidance and support where needed to develop mathematics planning.

Planning will be regularly monitored by the mathematics coordinator and other members of the Senior Management and Leadership teams.

Differentiation

This should always be incorporated into all mathematics lessons and can be done in various ways:

  • Stepped Activities which become more difficult and demanding but cater for the less able in the early sections.
  • Common Tasks which are open ended activities/investigations where differentiation is by outcome.
  • Resourcing which provides a variety of resources depending on abilities e.g. counters, cubes, 100 squares, number lines, mirrors.
  • Grouping according to ability so that the groups can be given different tasks when appropriate. Activities are based on the same theme and usually at no more than three levels.

Supporting Pupils with Particular Needs

Within the daily mathematics lesson teachers aim to provide activities to support children who find mathematics difficult. Children with SEN are taught within the daily mathematics lesson and areencouraged to take part when and where possible.

Where applicable children’s IEPs incorporate suitable objectives from the Primary Framework for Mathematics and teachers keep these objectives in mind when planning work.

When additional support staff are available to support groups or individual children they work collaboratively with the class teacher. The support teacher feeds back to the class teacher when appropriate to inform evaluations, assessment and future planning.

Within the daily mathematics lesson teachers not only provide activities to support children who find mathematics difficult but also activities that provide appropriate challenges for children who are high achievers in mathematics.

Additional resources have been purchased to support children with Special Educational Needs and to provide challenge and extension for those who are more able.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

We incorporate mathematics into a wide range of cross-curricular subjects and seek to take advantage of multi-cultural aspects of mathematics.

In the daily mathematics lesson we support children with English as an additional language in a variety of ways.

e.g. repeating instructions, speaking clearly, emphasising key words, using picture cues, playing mathematical games, encouraging children to join in counting, chanting, finger games, rhymes etc.

For more information on how we support children with English as an Additional Language please refer to our Special Educational Needs Policy.

PUPILS’ RECORDS OF THEIR WORK

There are occasions when it is both quick and convenient to carry out written calculations. It is also important to record aspects of mathematical investigations. Children are taught a variety of methods for recording their work and they are encouraged and helped to use the most appropriate and convenient method of recording.

Children are encouraged to use mental strategies before resorting to a written method.

Exercise Books for Recording

It is school policy that the following pattern is used:

  • Foundation Stage:plain exercise books
  • KS1:1cm squared books
  • KS2:7mm squared books

All children are encouraged to work tidily and neatly when recording their work. All work is expected to begin with a date written in short notation e.g. (01/02/03) and a brief title which reflects the learning objective.

MARKING

Marking should be both diagnostic and summative and school policy believes that it is best done through conversation with the child but acknowledges that constraints of time do not always allow this (for more detail see the School Marking Policy).

ASSESSMENT AND RECORD KEEPING

Teachers are expected to make regular assessment of each child’s progress and to record these systematically using APP materials. The following is the school policy for assessment in mathematics:

Teachers use the supplement of examples in the framework to plan assessment activities and written tasks to use throughout the year. These assessment activities should be used independent from the teaching of those skills and should allow the child to draw upon and apply their skills without guidance and modelling.

The work set, combined with a scrutiny of children’s recorded work over the previous six weeks, helps to review how well children have taken in the topics taught and identifies any remaining misconceptions. A record of the assessment criteria met for a range of 6 children should be kept and annotated to help inform assessment.

Formal Assessment

In the summer term children from year 2 to year 6 are formally assessed as part of the School’s Assessment Policy.

REPORTING TO PARENTS

Reports are completed before the end of the summer term and parents are given opportunity to discuss their child’s progress on two separate occasions.

Teachers use the information gathered from their termly assessments to help them comment on individual children’s progress.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

*Parents are invited into school twice yearly to look at their children’s work.

*An open evening is held once a year.

*When significant changes have been/are made to the mathematics curriculum parents are invited to a meeting or sent information via the half termly newsletter.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The mathematics coordinator is released regularly from his/her classroom in order to work alongside other teachers. This time is used to monitor and evaluate the quality and standards of mathematics throughout the school and enables the coordinator to support teachers in their own classrooms. Also time is given to enable the coordinator to meet with other colleagues to share ideas, good practice and ensure consistency across local schools.

Opportunities for teachers to review the scheme, policy and published materials are given on a regular basis during staff meetings.

THE GOVERNING BODY

We have identified a numeracy governor. He/she is invited to attend relevant school INSET.

The numeracy governor visits the school termly to talk with teachers and when possible, observes some daily mathematics lessons.

The numeracy governor reports back to the curriculum committee on a regular basis.

HOMEWORK

It is our school policy to provide parents and carers with opportunities to work with their children at home. These activities may only be brief, but are valuable in promoting children’s learning in mathematics.

Activities are sent home on a regular basis (see the separate school Homework Policy) and take the form of number games and tasks with some formal exercises for older children.

MANAGEMENT OF MATHEMATICS

Role of the co-ordinator

  • Teach demonstration lessons;
  • Ensure teachers are familiar with the framework and help them to plan lessons;
  • Lead by example in the way they teach in their own classroom;
  • Prepare, organise and lead INSET, with the support of the Head teacher;
  • Work co-operatively with the SENCO;
  • Observe colleagues from time to time with a view to identifying the support they need;
  • Attend INSET provided by LA numeracy consultants;
  • Inform parents;
  • Discuss regularly with the head teacher and numeracy governor the progress of implementing the Strategy in the school.

Role of the Numeracy Governor

  • To visit the school regularly to talk with the teachers and when possible, observe some of the daily mathematics lessons;
  • To report back to the curriculum committee on a regular basis;
  • To attend any relevant inset or training.

Role of the Head teacher

  • Lead, manage and monitor the implementation of the framework, including monitoring teaching plans and the quality of teaching in the classrooms;
  • With the Numeracy governor, keep the governing body informed about the progress of the framework;
  • Ensure that mathematics remains a high profile in the school’s development work;
  • Deploy support staff to maximise support for the framework.