Our Maths Lead, Mrs Loveday Trevisick, has completed the Sussex Maths Hub cycle of training and works closely with the Hub to support all our teachers across the Federation.
- Teachers reinforce an expectation that all children are capable of achieving high standards in Mathematics.
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The structure and connections within the Mathematics are emphasised, so that pupils develop deep learning that can be sustained.
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Lesson design identifies: the new Mathematics that is to be taught; concrete, pictorial and abstract representations of this; the key points including specific vocabulary; the difficult points, common misconceptions and errors; real-life application/reasoning; a carefully sequenced journey through the learning encouraging fluency and including conceptual and procedural variation, making explicit any connections with previous learning. In a typical lesson, pupils sit facing the teacher and the teacher leads back and forth interaction, including questioning, short tasks, explanation, demonstration, and discussion.
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Practice and consolidation play a central role. Carefully designed variation within this builds fluency and understanding of underlying mathematical concepts.
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Teachers use precise questioning in class to test conceptual and procedural knowledge and assess children regularly to identify those requiring intervention, so that all children keep up.
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Children’s explanations and their proficiency in articulating mathematical reasoning, with the precise use of mathematical vocabulary, are supported through the use of stem sentences and generalisations provided by the teacher. These help the children to make connections and expose the structure of the maths.Stem sentence example:
If I divide by ______, the greatest denominator I can have is______.Generalisation example:
The length of one side of any square can be found by dividing its perimeter by 4. - Key fluency facts, such as multiplication tables and addition facts within 10, are learnt to automaticity to avoid cognitive overload in the working memory and enable pupils to focus on new concepts. Fluency is explicitly taught in Key Stage 1. It is also revisited in Key Stage 2 in fluency sessions.
Maths
Approaches to teaching mathematics have changed over the last few years and some methods may be very different to those many of us knew when we were at school and some we are familiar with.
Please find below documents to help with children's mathematics including our calculation booklet and our recent presentation to parents. It is important that children understand that maths is part of everyday life, and not just something that applies within a maths lesson. Although every effort is made to place children's learning within a wider context, it helps hugely if a child is having regular mathematical conversations at home. Great areas for discussion include:-
Money - Shopping and questions about price, more or less expensive, and change.
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Time - Conversations about how long it takes to get somewhere, times on both analogue and digital clocks, and using calendars.
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Measures - Your child could help with cooking or baking? It involves a huge amount of reading scales, measuring, calculating and estimating. Do they have an idea of what basic measures look like? (A litre of milk, and apple weighs around 100g etc)
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Shape and Direction - Making the language of shape a part of everyday life is a great help as the very specific nature of mathematical vocabulary can be a stumbling block for some children. It's also hugely helpful for children to be familiar with solving shape problems(such as jigsaws) and creating 3D models.
Vocabulary
There is a lot of specific vocabulary associated with mathematics and below is a useful document that indicates the language a child should become familiar with and comfortable using in each year.
Mathematical_language_progression.docx
Progression
Progression Whiterose_Overviews_including_NCETM_Spine_links.docx
Progression__of_Key_Instant_recall_facts
In Key Stage 1:
Number bonds to 5 and 10
www.roythezebra.com/reading-games/high-frequency-words-numbers
Number bonds to 20
Writing numbers to twenty
mrcrammond.com/games/literacy/blastoff
In Key Stage 2:
Transum Games - a selection of games and fun activities.
Across the Whole School:
BBC Maths
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/numeracy