The 2014 National Curriculum for Maths 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 St Mary’s, these skills are embedded within Maths lessons and developed consistently over time.  We are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts.  We want all children to enjoy Mathematics and to experience success in the subject, with the ability to reason mathematically.  We are committed to developing children’s curiosity about the subject, as well as an appreciation of the beauty and power of Mathematics.

To ensure whole school consistency and progression, we use the nationally recognised White Rose Maths scheme.  The White Rose curriculum is a spiral curriculum, so that once a topic is covered, it is met many times again in other contexts.  For example, place value is revisited in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  The curriculum is designed to have an emphasis on number, with a large proportion of time spent reinforcing number skills to build competency.

Lessons are planned to provide plenty of opportunities to build reasoning and problem solving elements into the curriculum.  When introduced to a new concept, children have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand what they are doing.  Alongside this, children are encouraged to use pictorial representations.  These representations can then be used to help reason and solve problems.  Both concrete and pictorial representations support children’s understanding of abstract methods.  Mathematical vocabulary is on display in each classroom and the children’s knowledge in this area is consistently built upon.

We promote the importance of Mathematics in the wider world by regularly looking at real life situations that require mathematical thinking and highlighting the achievements of famous mathematicians such as Albert Einstein and Maria Gaetana Agnesi.  In addition to this, workshops such as those by The Problem Solving Company offer the children enhanced practical experiences.