Maths

Intent

At Balfour Infant School, we believe that a high-quality Mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. We want to provide children with a Mathematics curriculum that will allow them to become confident individuals through developing their mathematical skills to their full potential. We also aim to present Maths as a challenging, exciting, creative and relevant subject in order to promote a positive and confident attitude. High expectations of key mathematical concepts are the foundations of our curriculum which have been carefully considered and planned for progression.

The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils: 

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils 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.  

Implementation

At Balfour Infant School, children study Mathematics daily covering a broad and balanced mathematical curriculum including elements of number, calculation, geometry, measures and statistics.

Within Maths lessons across the school children have the opportunity to:

• Learn specific new concepts, skills and strategies to support their mathematical problem solving.
• Use a range of practical resources to develop and embed their understanding.
• Access activities that allow them to develop fluency.
• Experience meaningful, real-life problem solving.
• Explore possibilities in open-ended investigations, some of which are teacher-led and some of which are child-led.
• Develop and explore mathematical language and vocabulary and explain their thinking in appropriate ways.

EYFS

We recognise that children need the will, the skill and a foundation of mathematical knowledge to succeed and aim to ensure that this balance is reflected in the provision. Planning for mathematical teaching and learning in EYFS is in line with the EYFS Foundation Stage Framework, assessments of the current children in EYFS’s understanding and next steps and a firm commitment to building a strong mathematical foundation of strategies, concepts and facts. Planning is also supported by the NCETM for EYFS. This ensures that a firm foundation of the counting principles is established. As in all areas of the EYFS, mathematics is taught through discrete concept and skill teaching, targeted work focusing on individual understanding and complemented by extensive opportunities to play, problem solve, practise and consistently apply new skills.

There is a clear focus on ensuring children have a range of opportunities to explore practical problem solving using a range of resources. The focus is on ensuring children have a strong and concrete understanding of each number concept. Recording is encouraged, modelled and supported to ensure children are able to begin to explore their problem solving more deeply, articulate their findings and represent their ideas in ways they can explain to others.

Year One

In Year One, the White Rose schemes of learning are used to ensure that the foundations of mathematical understanding in EYFS are built upon and that children develop a strong bedrock of understanding of concepts and facts and have opportunities to develop their problem solving skills practically. This focus on supporting independence allows children to use what they know creatively, make links in their learning and truly embed their understanding of new concepts and skills. There is a focus on developing from the concrete to the pictorial and abstract. Children are supported to learn a range of strategies and resources with greater independence. They are also introduced to new, more formal, ways of recording mathematical problem solving.

Year Two

In Year Two, mathematical teaching and learning is arranged into unit blocks based on the learning objectives of the National Curriculum.  Activities and planning from the White Rose scheme are still used to ensure consistency and coverage but the sequencing of White Rose has been adapted to meet the needs of our children and to further embed the number facts and skills which ensure fluency as children progress through school.

Mastering Number

Balfour Infant School uses the NCETM (National Centre of Excellence for the Teaching of Maths) Mastering Number programme as daily extra Maths sessions.

 The end goals of the programme are that all children will:

• Establish fluency with number facts
• Develop automatic use of number sense and less reliance on counting
• Be enabled to reach their full potential, with more achieving expected levels of progress and attainment

Impact

Children enjoy Maths and can succeed in the next stage of their school life. The pupils will develop a secure foundation of knowledge in Number and are able to apply this across other mathematical concepts. The children will develop a mastery of Maths rather than a short term ability to answer questions and follow procedures. The impact our Maths curriculum will be seen through the outcomes, learning walks, displays, book looks, photographic evidence and Pupil Voice.

What do our children think of Maths at Balfour Infant School?

Year R child: “I love Maths! We’ve been learning about how to make the number 5. It’s like 3 and 2, 0 and 5, 1 and 4. There’s lots of ways you can make 5!”

Year One child:” We have been learning about shapes. We know about 2d shapes and 3d shapes and have been learning some new words. I can spot shapes in my environment.”

Year Two child:” We have been learning about addition. We know that it doesn’t matter which number you start with as it’s the same answer. Subtraction is the inverse to addition.”