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Maths

Being a Mathematician

Be the ‘BEST’ you can be

 

Intent:

At St Mary’s, our maths curriculum creates young mathematicians who are confident and aware of their own knowledge. We want children to enjoy maths and experience the wonder and variety of problems and applications that it presents. We aim to create mathematicians who are inquisitive, ask questions and relish the process of solving problems.

 

“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why.”
Bernard Baruch, American financier, philanthropist and statesman

 

We want their journey as mathematicians to be long, varied, exciting and to end in magnificence!

“The study of mathematics, like the Nile, begins in minuteness but ends in magnificence.”
Charles Caleb Colton, English cleric, writer and collector

 

We strive for high levels of academic success whilst also recognising that test scores are not the only judge of a greater level of understanding – but we also do not believe that the two are mutually exclusive. To this end we have adopted a mastery approach to teaching maths and use the White Rose scheme to deliver this.

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms: it is about understanding.”
William Paul Thurston, American mathematician

 

As a school, we recognise that the key to showing our children’s potential in Maths is through developing their basic mathematical skills and deepening their understanding of mathematical concepts. As a result of this, we focus on the use of concrete resources and pictorial representations throughout each year group to support children when they are presented with abstract questions. Our overarching aim as a school is to promote a positive ‘can do’ attitude and encourage the children to know that we all can do Maths.  

 We aim for our pupils to:

 • become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics so they are able to recall and apply knowledge rapidly.

• have the confidence to apply their mathematics to solve problems.

• use mathematical language to reason and explain answers.

 

We follow The National Curriculum 2014 which sets out the statutory requirements for Mathematics year by year. Please click the link below for more information:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study

 

The EYFS Statutory Framework 2021 sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five years old and supports an integrated approach to early learning. This is supported by the ‘Development matters’ non statutory guidance. 

 

Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built. In addition, it is important that the curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measures. It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes.