Mathematics
"Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas". Albert Einstein
Intent
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To enable our children to become fluent in calculation methods using the four operations.
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To develop our children's conceptual understanding of mathematics.
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To develop our children's ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
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To develop our children's mathematical reasoning skills
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To ensure our children are equipped to solve problems using maths skills.
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To be able to apply maths skills within real life contexts.
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To provide our children with the opportunity to solve problems, applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication.
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To enable the children to have exposure to all areas of maths listed within the national curriculum.
Implementation
To support the teaching of maths, we follow the White Rose scheme of learning. Children are able to study a range of mathematical concepts through practical and written activities.
Across the school, we teach Maths in a practical way giving children opportunities to explore number relationships using models, images and manipulatives including counters, linking cubes, ten frames, Numicon and dienes. Once children have a secure understanding of mathematical concepts, we challenge them to solve more abstract and complex problems through offering a variety of rich, mathematical tasks as opposed to moving them on to new content. Application in a range of concepts, reasoning and exploring mathematical ideas are a key part of learning and challenge for our children.
In lessons we link maths concepts to the real world beyond the classroom so that children develop an appreciation of the application of maths for future employment and real life. We don’t use a particular ‘maths scheme’ as such, but we do use a variety of published and online resources. Our teachers are very skilled at structuring lessons and tailoring material to embed learning and provide stretch and challenge.
We know that children need to revisit areas of maths on a regular basis. We therefore plan in these opportunities, this challenges children to retrieve information and use it to solve a particular question. We also revisit whole maths topics, using prior learning to ensure children don’t repeat something they already know and they then extend their learning and stretch their thinking. All this really helps to ensure maths concepts ‘stick’.
Impact
As a result of our Maths teaching at Luckwell you will see:
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Engaged children who are all challenged.
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Confident children who can all talk about Maths and their learning and the links between Mathematical topics.
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Lessons that use a variety of resources to support learning.
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Different representations of mathematical concepts.
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Learning that is tracked and monitored to ensure all children make good progress.
Curriculum Overviews
Reception
Luckwell Maths Challenge
Knowledge of times tables (and their associated division facts) supports mathematical learning and understanding and those children who have a strong grasp of them tend to be more self-assured when learning new concepts. In an ideal world, every pupil will start secondary school with a fluent, accessible and automatic knowledge of their tables.
We have introduced the Luckwell Maths Challenge to encourage our children to know all their multiplication and division facts.
The Luckwell Maths Challenge takes place every Friday, this is when students have the opportunity to win their bronze, silver, gold and platinum awards.
This is what must be known in order to receive an award.
Bronze - number bonds to 10 and 20
Silver - multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 times tables.
Gold - multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 times tables.
Platinum - multiplication and division facts for the 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 times tables.
Below are some useful links that will help students practise.
And Beyond...
For those students who have a secure understanding of their time tables, we still like to continue developing their number knowledge.
Below are some links that our students use in order to be extended.
Learning at Home
Primary Maths Challenge
We take part in the Primary Maths Challenge each year in November. This is a fun and exciting mathematical challenge aimed at pupils in years 5 and 6.
The Primary Maths Challenge encourages enthusiasm, boosts confidence in mathematics and shows the different way questions can be asked. The PMC is designed to make pupils think outside the box. The questions asked are not necessarily subjects that have been covered in the curriculum by this time but the questions can create a great starting point and lead to discussions later in the year.