Intent

At Farcet C. of E. Primary School, we believe that Mathematics teaches children how to make sense of the world around them through developing their ability to calculate, reason and solve problems. It enables children to understand relationships and patterns in both number and space in their everyday lives.

At Farcet Church of England school we aim for all pupils to:

-       have fluent recall of number facts including number bonds and times tables.

-       develop a secure understanding of the four operations. (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division)

-        make use of diagrams and informal notes to help record steps when using mental methods.

-       a clear understanding of a range of mathematical vocabulary that can be used in context and immediately recognised.

-       have a fluent and efficient written method of calculation for each operation that can be applied with confidence when solving a calculation that cannot be done mentally.

-       apply their knowledge and understanding of number and calculations to solve real-life or contextual problems.

-        use estimation to support them in the rationality of their answer.

-       to develop a confidence so that patterns and properties are quickly identified.

We understand that number and calculations play a vital part in our everyday lives and we want every pupil to develop a confidence in, and a love of Maths, which serves them in their adult life.

Implementation

At Farcet C of E Primary School we feel it is important for children to gain knowledge through an experience-based approach rather than only being taught a method without understanding. This means that during maths sessions our children will be given many opportunities to explore and investigate numbers, discover patterns, and solve problems. This will support them in being able to master the curriculum and develop their mental and written strategies in the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) with accuracy, efficiency and confidence.

From Reception to Year 6, pupils will be encouraged to use a range of strategies to support their learning. These include the use of counting materials (fingers, rulers, counters) pictures, jottings or a formal written method. We urge parents and carers to support this when their children are learning at home. Children are encouraged to look at a calculation with ‘number sense’ and using their ‘number knowledge’ the child will decide on the best approach to solve the problem, for example whether to solve it mentally, to draw the problem out or use a written method.

We use White Rose Maths programme to inform our maths planning as it emphasises a comprehensive understanding of mathematics. It's a pedagogical approach that has been designed to enhance maths skills and problem-solving skills. The core of White Rose Maths is the maths mastery approach, which focuses on depth rather than acceleration, ensuring that key concepts are fully grasped before moving on.

We fully adapt the planning and resources to meet the needs of our mixed year group cohorts, ensuring appropriate scaffolding and challenge is available to all pupils.

Impact

We know our curriculum is successful as children have an enjoyment for learning through practical activity, exploration and discussion. Children will be confident and competent with all areas of our mathematics curriculum. They will have developed systems and secure mental strategies to solve calculations as well as solve problems and reason in a range of contexts. Our children will be able to take responsibility for choosing effective and efficient methods which allow them to be successful, this includes the ability to self-monitor and correct their own errors.

By the end of Year 6, our children will leave with a love of problem solving and a desire to be ambitious with their own development. They will have a strong foundation in methods and vocabulary to articulate their responses in discussion and reasoning skills, ready for their Secondary education. Our children will feel confident with understanding a range of mental and written strategies, know and be able to choose and efficient method of calculation and be able to use their fluency, reasoning and problem solving in diverse situations.