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Wessex Gardens Primary & Nursery School

Wessex Gardens Primary & Nursery School

Maths

At Wessex Gardens Primary School, we follow the ‘mastery approach’ to teaching. Instead of learning mathematical procedures by rote, we want pupils to build a deep conceptual understanding of concepts which will enable them to apply their learning in different situations.

The mathematics curriculum is cumulative – each school year begins with a focus on the concepts and skills that have the most connections, which are then applied and connected throughout the school year to consolidate learning. This gives pupils the opportunity to ‘master maths’; by using previous learning throughout the school year, they can develop mathematical fluency and conceptual understanding.

We use Dimensions of Depth to deepen pupils’ understanding. These are:

Conceptual understanding

A crucial part of a ‘deep understanding’ in Maths is being able to represent ideas in many ways. Using objects and pictures to represent abstract concepts is essential to achieving mastery.

Concrete – the doing: pupils are introduced to an idea or a skill by acting it out with real objects. This is a ‘hands on’ component using real objects and it is the foundation for conceptual understanding. ‘Concrete’ refers to objects such as Dienes apparatus, fraction tiles, counters, or other objects that can be physically manipulated.

Pictorial – the seeing: a pupil may also begin to relate their understanding to pictorial representations, such as a diagram or picture of the problem.

Abstract – the symbolic: A pupil is now capable of representing problems by using mathematical notation, for example: 12 ÷ 2 = 6. This is the most formal and efficient stage of mathematical understanding. Abstract representations can simply be an efficient way of recording the maths, without being the actual maths.

Language and communication: every Mathematics lesson provides opportunities for pupils to communicate and develop mathematical language through:

  • Sharing the key vocabulary at the beginning of every lesson in the Do Now/starter section, and insisting on its use throughout;
  • Modelling clear sentence structures and expecting pupils to respond using a full sentence;
  • Talk Task activities, allowing pupils to discuss their thinking and reasoning of the concepts being presented;
  • Plenaries which give a further opportunity to assess understanding through pupil explanations. Pupils should revisit mathematical language from previous years and explore the concepts in greater depth. There should be opportunities for pupils to clarify vocabulary and explore activities that develop an understanding of the different concepts.

Mathematical thinking

At Wessex Gardens Primary School, we believe that pupils should think like mathematicians and not just DO the maths. It is important that we support all pupils in developing their mathematical thinking, both to improve the way in which they learn, as well as the learning itself.

Good questioning can be used to develop pupils’ ability to compare, modify and generalise, all building a deeper understanding of mathematics. We believe that pupils should:

  • Explore, wonder, question and conjecture
  • Compare, classify, and sort
  • Experiment
  • Play with possibilities
  • Vary an aspect and see what happens
  • Make theories and predictions and act purposefully to see what happens, generalise.

Useful Mathematics Websites

TTRS and Numbots – every child has their own login for this site.

https://ttrockstars.com/

https://play.numbots.com/

Whiterose Home learning lessons and videos (EYFS - Year 6)

Every lesson comes with a short video showing you clearly and simply how to help your child complete the activity successfully. 

https://whiteroseeducation.com/parent-pupil-resources/maths/home-learning

Time

Calculation

Number Ordering & Value

Challenge Puzzles

Money

  1. Year 4 Multiplication Table Check – Year 4PDF File

  2. TTRS PARENT GUIDEPDF File

  3. NUMBOTS PARENT GUIDEPDF File