Confidence and flexibility in using mathematics is a key life skill. At Chantry Community Academy, our maths curriculum is aimed at ensuring all children develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. In line with recommendations from the NCETM, and with support from the local maths Hub, we follow a Mastery approach to the teaching and learning of maths. Carefully crafted lessons based on a series of small steps help to develop children’s conceptual understanding in number, geometry, statistics and measurement.
At Chantry Community Academy, our Maths curriculum reflects the three main aims of the National Curriculum.
Children are encouraged to develop fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics, through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time. This enables children to develop a deeper conceptual understanding. Regular practice of basics such as number bonds and times tables supports this. All Key Stage 2 children have access to ‘Times Table Rock Stars’, a website that encourages children to practice their recall of multiplication and division facts in an engaging, but challenging, way.
Children are also prompted to reason mathematically using a range of skills including explanation, justification, logical thinking and recognising and extending patterns.
Problem solving is an integral part of the maths curriculum, providing a focus for the application of skills and knowledge in a range of contexts, frequently related to ‘real-life’ scenarios.
To support these aims, children throughout the school are regularly provided with a range of practical resources and manipulatives such as place value equipment, number lines and hundred squares. Children are taught how to use these resources to develop their understanding of concepts such as the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and place value. As a result, children have a deeper understanding of these concepts when completing written calculations.
To ensure appropriate coverage of the curriculum, Chantry Community Academy uses the Power Maths scheme of work. This scheme provides long and short term lesson plans which teachers adapt to meet the needs of their class.
Furthermore, Chantry Community Academy subscribes to Mathletics. This is an online range of activities and maths games that all children can access through their own personal log in. Mathletics is used to support children’s home learning as well as being used regularly in school for whole class teaching and intervention. Children’s comments regularly emphasise the enjoyment and challenge that they get from using Mathletics.
Teachers also use the ‘nrich’ website which provides a range of challenging activities that encourage children to investigate maths in a variety of contexts. These activities provide challenges that extend all children’s mathematical thinking.
Websites for reference:
https://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/Primary/Mathematics/AllMathematicsresources/Power-Maths/power-maths-mastery.aspx
http://uk.mathletics.com/
https://ttrockstars.com/
http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/ for a range of interactive games and activities.
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/ for guidance in embedding the National Curriculum