Mathematics

 

Mathematics is about understanding and making connections between numbers, shapes and patterns. It is a creative and highly interconnected subject that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems.

 

It gives children a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to make connections and reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about numbers and the subject.

 

Without it they would not have the knowledge and skills essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment.

 

It feeds into our school’s curriculum intent by providing children with an opportunity to develop their oracy and vocabulary skills. The mathematics curriculum reflects the importance of spoken language in children’s development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. The quality and variety of language that children hear and speak are key factors in developing their mathematical vocabulary and presenting a mathematical justification, argument or proof. Children are supported in making their thinking clear to themselves, as well as others, and teachers ensure that they build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions. The mathematics curriculum also enables children to develop their recall skills. Frequent revisiting of mathematical knowledge, facts and concepts enables increased fluency, developing accuracy and speed, enabling children to access a wider variety of mathematics.

 

Our curriculum ensures that children progressively learn new knowledge and skills so that they develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.

 

Our curriculum ensures that our children:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that they develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

 

At St James’ Junior School, these skills are embedded within mathematics lessons and developed consistently over time. We are committed to ensuring that children can recognise the importance of mathematics 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.

 

Power Maths

St James’ Junior School uses the DfE approved ‘Power Maths’ scheme throughout KS2. Power Maths is a whole-class mastery programme designed to spark curiosity and excitement and help nurture confidence in maths. Every lesson starts with a Discover task to get children to solve a problem that aims to generate curiosity. During the Discover section children may use manipulatives to help them understand the maths and explain their method. The next stage encourages children to talk and share the methods they have tried to solve the problem in the Discover section. The initial problem solving activity prompts discussion and reasoning, as well as promoting an awareness of mathematics in relatable real life contexts that link to other areas of learning. Teachers use careful questioning to draw out children’s discussions and reasoning. The children are then led through strategies for solving problems. Independent learning provides the means for all children to develop their fluency further, before progressing to more complex related problems. The final Reflect question helps the children evaluate whether they have understood the key concept and small step that they have been trying to master in the lesson.

 

 

Times Tables Rock Stars

A wide variety of strategies are used to develop children’s fluency in mathematics, increasing their speed and accuracy. One part of this includes the use of Times Table Rock Stars (TTRS). From Year 3 up to Year 6, children will be given their own username and password so that they are able to access TTRS from both school and home. Although multiplication tables are only one part of mathematics, they are fundamental, as many areas of mathematics use multiplicative relationships and these are hard to fully grasp without fluent recall of the multiplication tables.

 

 

 

Please click on the link below for our curriculum progression grid for Mathematics detailing how our children progress through knowledge and skills from Year 3 to Year 6:

 

Mathematics Progression Grid

 

Useful websites

https://ttrockstars.com – your child (between Year 3 and Year 6) will have their own login details to access TTRS at home so that they are able to practice their times tables

https://whiterosemaths.com/power-maths/ - this website will provide you with more information about the scheme we use in school (from Year 3 to Year 6)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/primary - games and information

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games - lots of fun games to play

https://nrich.maths.org/14600 - games and activities to support Maths at home

Mathematical Vocabulary

Throughout their time in school, children are introduced to a range of mathematical vocabulary. It is important for children to use correct mathematical vocabulary and have an understanding of what these terms mean. Click on the link below to access our school’s mathematical vocabulary list which includes vocabulary introduced throughout the primary curriculum (EYFS to Year 6).