Maths
At Acton CEVC Primary School, we echo the belief stated in the National Curriculum (2014) that "...a high-quality mathematics education 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 aim of mathematics at Acton CEVC Primary School is to develop mastery through:
- courage, a positive attitude and growth mindset towards mathematics and an awareness of the relevance of mathematics in the real world;
- competence, confidence and trust in mathematical knowledge, concepts and skills;
- a coherent knowledge of the key recall facts that enable fluent mathematical problem solving;
- an ability to solve problems creatively - to reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately;
- initiative, perseverance and an ability to work both independently and in compassionate cooperation with others;
- an ability to communicate mathematically, using a deep understanding of the language and concepts concerned;
- an ability to use and apply mathematics across the curriculum and in real life;
- an understanding of mathematics through a clear process of instruction, enquiry and experiment.
We offer a rich and varied range of teaching approaches to achieve these ends, always striving to challenge every one of our pupils to make the maximum progress regardless of their starting point, with an understanding that different levels of support may be required to help them achieve their goals.
Maths Across the Curriculum at Acton
Teaching and Learning in Mathematics at Acton CEVC Primary School
Each class teacher is responsible for the mathematics in their class, with guidance available from the mathematics subject leader. There is a consistent, fluency-focused approach across the school, with subtle variations according to the needs of pupils in each Key Stage:
Early Years
In order to satisfy the mathematical objectives within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, teachers use planning and resources from Hamilton Trust, which ensures coverage across the year.
As well as this daily mathematics input, children take part in regular “Maths Meetings”, singing songs and using other techniques so that they can memorise key knowledge, like the days of the week, months of the year, ordinal numbers etc.
Teachers of the EYFS introduce new elements each term and ensure the children learn through a mixture of adult led activities and child-initiated activities, using both the indoor and outdoor learning environment.
Key Stages One & Two
We follow a curriculum based on the “Target your Maths” scheme, by Stephen Pearce. This was introduced to Acton CEVC Primary School following a visit to a high-performing local school. Through careful planning and preparation, we aim to ensure that throughout these years pupils 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.
Topics are covered sequentially and in depth, with time set aside for focused intervention in the second half of the Summer Term. We begin and end discrete units with “cold” and “hot” assessments to track progress and help pupils see the impact of their hard work in lessons. Through our creative curriculum approach we also seek to use and apply mathematics across all subject areas.
Lesson Format
Lessons typically consist of starter activities, clear and concise teacher explanations of the content to be covered and shared worked examples, before pupils select independent tasks from discrete levels of challenge:
A – comprises questions with a simpler entry point;
B – gives pupils a range of questions that match with the national curriculum requirements for their year group;
C – provides more challenging questions, which regularly access content from the next year group up.
Opportunities for pupils to mark their own work are included with increasing regularity as they move through their school career. Plenaries are used to celebrate effort, progress and achievement and assess pupils in readiness for the next lesson.
Homework
We blend together regular mathematics tasks and practice worksheets, which echo the content covered in lesson time, with a strong focus on improving mathematical fluency through consistent use of the Numbots and TTRockStars applications. We enjoy celebrating our progress and achievements in TTRockStars and Numbots, as part of our weekly STARS assembly.
Rockstar Maths Day
Everyone at Acton enjoyed taking part in our TT Rockstars Maths Day! We all dressed up as our avatars, investigated different shape problems in the morning and watched the big Hall of Fame competition in the afternoon. What a day!
Maths Club at Acton
