Heathrow Primary School
Intent
At Heathrow Primary School we are committed to ensuring that children are able to recognise the importance of maths in the wider world and that they are also able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in a range of real life contexts. We aim to make maths lessons enjoyable and for our children to experience success in the subject including the ability to reason mathematically. We also aim to develop the children's curiosity about the subject giving them plenty of opportunities to investigate and solve problems in various ways.
The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:
Implementation
At Heathrow Primary School, we endeavour to deliver maths in a fun and engaging manner. Following the White Rose schemes of work, staff deliver a curriculum which builds on existing skills and progress year on year. Each child has the opportunity to apply their skills at whichever level they are working at. During lessons, the children are use mathematical vocabulary to discuss their work. This is modelled by all staff in the classroom. Areas of mathematics are revisited each year so that their learning is constantly reinforced and they have plenty of opportunity to apply their skills.
At Heathrow Primary School, maths lessons begin with a mental starter which can include recall of facts, opportunity to practise existing skills and an emphasis on using their mental skills. This may take the form of a game and often presents an opportunity for the children to be active and move around the classroom. During each lesson the children are taught skills which are clearly modelled by the staff. The children then have chance to practise their skills in a variety of ways before progressing to reasoning and problem solving to apply the skills that have been taught. White Rose Maths resources are used to support the children’s learning. Within the classroom, maths is displayed very clearly with current vocabulary, mental strategies and skills that have been taught. The children also have access to practical equipment to aid their learning which they can choose and use during the lessons.
Throughout school, the children are taught a range of mental and written strategies which follows the school calculation policy. When a range of strategies have been taught it is expected that the children will choose the method that they are most confident with and can use efficiently. The children receive feedback during the lesson or soon after and intervention is carried out where necessary to clarify any misconceptions or to correct errors. The marking of maths books always provides children with the opportunity to correct a misconception or further develop their understanding of the concepts taught in the lesson.
Impact
At Heathrow Primary School children have a love of maths and they can articulate this through pupil voice, recognising their own contribution and learning. They see the importance of maths in the modern world. The children build upon their skills year on year and can apply their skills and see the relevance of their mathematical learning. The school has a supportive ethos and our approaches support children in developing their collaborative and independence skills. Regular and ongoing assessment informs teaching, as well as intervention, to support and enable the success of each child. The teaching of maths is monitored through observations, learning walks and the monitoring of children's work to ensure the most children reach the age related expectations or above.