At The Grove Primary School, we follow a mastery approach. We believe all children are entitled to a strong mathematical foundation, enabling them to show the Characteristics of Effective Learning in mathematics.
This is underpinned by practitioners’ understanding of children’s possible mathematical learning trajectories and a belief that all children are effective mathematical learners, despite their previous experiences.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, this is achieved during both child-initiated play and adult teaching through meaningful contexts. All children have daily moments where they explicitly engage with mathematical concepts and language. In Key Stage 2, children are entitled to daily lessons that involve and interest them in mathematics.
Pedagogy
In all phases, adults:
Provide:
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- daily routines with mathematical opportunities – wake up shake up, date, time, tidying up etc.
- games – tracks, targets, hiding and counting
- number talk, rhymes, books and stories
- exploration with shape, space, measures & numbers, e.g. construction
- familiarity & investigation with adult tools e.g. calculators, timers, scales
Engage children with:
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- ‘Low floor, high ceiling’ problems to solve creatively
- The option to choose and follow their mathematical interests
- A repertoire of mathematical language, representations & recording
Use teaching strategies:
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- being playful with mathematical ideas – making deliberate mistakes, testing ideas with ludicrous suggestions
- ‘sustained shared mathematical thinking’ with children – e.g. ‘What if…’
- ongoing observation and assessment of learning trajectories
Are disposed towards:
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- being enthusiastic and interested in maths
- being curious about children’s reasoning & expressions of their thinking
- supporting children to be resilient and take risks, spot patterns and make connections
- high quality observation and reflective practice
Pedagogy Statement adapted from the Early Childhood Maths Group 2019.
Curriculum Content
Teachers in Early Years use a bespoke document compiled from NCETM EYFS guidance, Learning Trajectories and Development Matters to assist in their planning. Key Stage 1 and 2 teachers follow the National Curriculum for mathematics and plan from the programmes of study. Staff supplement the National Curriculum with White Rose Maths, among other resources, to build their planning around. Our maths curriculum aims to develop children’s fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills.
Lessons should embody these 8 Positive Norms as adapted from Dweck (2007) and Boaler (2018):
- Everyone can learn mathematics to the highest levels.
- If you ‘can’t do it’, you ‘can’t do it yet’.
- Mistakes are valuable.
- Questions are important.
- Mathematics is about creativity and problem solving.
- Mathematics is about making connections and communicating what we think.
- Depth is more important than speed.
- Maths lessons are about learning, not performing.
