Hackney New Primary School

Intent

‘Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.’ (The National Curriculum  2013)
The  National Curriculum expects that all pupils 

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics...so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, and
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to problems

At Hackney New Primary School, these skills are embedded within maths lessons and are developed consistently over time through repeated practice. Our intent from Reception to Year 6 is, then,  to ensure that all children develop firm mathematical foundations in an engaging and age-appropriate way. Our teaching is inclusive;  we want all children to enjoy mathematics and expect all children to experience success  and challenge in the subject each and every day. We intend for all children to welcome challenges, thus teachers  foster the attitude that we all, even the most able among us, should expect to struggle before achieving success.  Teacher’s high standards ensure all children become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics with the ability to reason mathematically. We ensure that children are able to recognise the importance of maths in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts.  We are committed to developing children’s intellectual curiosity about the subject, as well as an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics. 

Implementation

At HNPS, we provide a  carefully designed mathematics curriculum from EYFS to year 6. Therefore we are committed to the following principles within maths lessons in every year:

• Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving excellence in mathematics.
• The large majority of children progress through the curriculum content at the same pace.
• Lessons are adapted by developing deep knowledge and through individual support and intervention.
• Teaching is underpinned by methodical curriculum design and supported by carefully crafted lessons and resources to foster deep conceptual and procedural knowledge.
• Practice and consolidation play a central role. Lessons begin with a review of key skills as outlined in HNPS Ready to Progress Criteria. Topic areas finish with an end of unit assessment.
• Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge and assess children regularly to identify those requiring intervention, so that all children keep up.

The first few years of a child’s life are especially important for mathematical development. Research shows that early mathematical knowledge predicts later reading ability and general education and social progress (Duncan et al. 2007). Conversely children who start behind in mathematics tend to stay behind throughout their whole educational journey (Aubrey, Godfrey and Dahl, 2006).  Thus,  we view the teaching of maths in EYFS and KS1  as fundamental first steps in  life-long maths education.
Maths lessons in Reception year  are carefully sequenced to build on children’s knowledge and skills,  with Development Matters, NCETM’s progression charts  and NCETM’s  Mastering Number supporting this progression. The materials are organised into key concepts which underpin many early mathematics curricula. The typical progression is formed of activities and opportunities that are suitable for younger children and are developed across the Reception year. 
 The use of Mastering Number in EYFS is continued in KS1 as children participate in a 15 minute  daily Mastering Number session in addition to their maths lesson each day. Mastering Number aims to secure firm foundations in the development of number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 2. It intends to do this by developing fluency in number facts that are recalled with automaticity while also supporting learners to develop flexibility and confidence with numbers. This  programme has been recommended by DfE and Ofsted as a means of ensuring all children achieve fluency in number by the end of Key Stage 1.
From EYFS to Year 6, mathematical topics are taught in blocks which consolidate prior learning and allow for frequent and varied practice of core skills. Medium Term Plans for all year groups organise learning in small steps which enable teachers to introduce new concepts in manageable chunks. These steps build upon pupil’s prior learning  whilst following the principle of spaced practice to support embedding knowledge into long term memory. To this end, Medium Term plans also outline areas of the curriculum to review daily. These have been adapted from the NCETM Ready to Progress Criteria and focus on reasoning  and application of key skills. Furthermore, each year from EYFS to Year 6 has a Key Instant Recall Fact to learn each half term. These are a series of mathematical facts which underpin much of the primary maths curriculum. Children practise these KIRFs daily in lessons through music in the forms of  songs and  chants as well as  games. Families are invited to practise with their children to ensure that these facts are committed to long-term memory.

Each phase follows their own Methods Guidance and Expectation documents, which clearly outlines the teaching methods to teach  Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, as well as fractions. Teachers follow their phases’ Methods Guidance which ensures consistency in the teaching methods  within year groups and across the school. As well as termly summative assessments, teachers make use of daily formative assessment such as use of mini quizzes, peer and self marking and weekly low-stakes quizzes to practise key skills.

Lesson sequences from EYFS to Year 6 avail of the concrete, pictorial, abstract approach which uses concrete resources and then pictorial jottings  to build a child’s understanding of abstract concepts, In EYFS and KS1, new concepts  are  always presented with concrete manipulatives for children to use. Children may also use concrete resources to understand new concepts in KS2 though these are gradually removed to ensure children are solving mathematical problems abstractly by the end of their primary education. 

At our school, all children receive mathematics learning and activities each day. In EYFS, Maths lessons consist of a teacher input that may be delivered to the whole class or to small groups dependent upon the content, with children then moving between the continuous provision of the classroom and sharply focussed enhanced provision activities both inside the classroom and outside, that have been set up to support and enhance learning connected to the specific learning objective/s of that lesson. There is also regular repetition of key concepts to support long term memory, fluency and rapid recall. In addition, children have fortnightly consolidation of previous learning objectives in the form of HNPS Ready to Progress activities delivered both in teacher input and in enhanced provision. Additionally, in order to further help children with their recall, number rhymes and songs are learnt and sung in rhyme time. 

 From EYFS to Y6, individual lessons begin with a 2 stage consolidation of  previously taught skills. ‘ Strengthen It’ consolidates key skills  from other areas of the curriculum and these are aligned with the Ready to Progress Criteria.  ‘Reinforce it’ reviews recent learning and addresses any misconceptions or gaps in knowledge since the previous lesson.
Lessons  then follow the  whole school “I do, We do, You do”  pedagogical approach  of encouraging independent practice amongst learners through explicit and precise modelling of processes.  This ensures consistency across the school and within lessons and allows all learners to know what to expect at each stage of maths lessons throughout the school.

Each lesson provides the means to achieve greater depth, with high potential mathematicians being offered rich and sophisticated problems, as well as exploratory, investigative tasks, within the lesson as appropriate. Children with SEND and/or high levels of need have a broad curriculum offer, with lessons being adapted accordingly.  Scaffolds  are  used to meet learners with SEND’s needs, thus  ensuring they keep up with the learning of the cohort and make good progress from their initial starting points.
 
We are committed that all children make progress, achieve excellence  and experience success in each lesson. To this end, new material is introduced only when knowledge and skills are secure. Those children who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through being offered rich problems before moving on to new content. While some maths needs to be taught discretely, there is an emphasis on giving the maths an appropriate context so there is a purpose for what children are learning. Using the school environment and the wider world, the curriculum makes sure that children explore, make connections, seek patterns, recognise relationships and are creative with mathematics. Themed maths days are used to broaden both teacher and child experiences in mathematics and are reflective of the wider community.

Impact

The school has a supportive ethos and our approaches support the children in developing their collaborative and independent skills, as well as empathy, kindness  and the need to recognise the achievement of others. As a result, pupils are confidently able to use acquired maths vocabulary in maths lessons and have the skills to use methods independently. Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures, recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons. Children have the skills to use methods independently and show resilience when tackling problems. Mastery of a mathematical skill or concept is demonstrated by showing it in multiple ways, using mathematical language to explain ideas, and independently applying the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations. Regular and ongoing assessment informs teaching, as well as keep up intervention, to support and enable the success of each child. These factors ensure that we are able to maintain high standards, with achievement  at the end of KS1 and KS2 well above the national average and a high proportion of children demonstrating greater depth, at the end of each phase.

EYFS - Key Stage 1 Methods guidance

Lower Key Stage 2 Methods guidance

Upper Key Stage 2 Methods guidance

Achieving Academic Excellence and Intellectual Curiosity in Maths

HNPS Maths Progression Framework