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“Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.” Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)
At the start of Spring Term, 2023, SMITH started a Mastery Maths journey with ‘Maths – No Problem!’ The New Edition of the Primary Maths Series is fully aligned to the 2014 English national curriculum for maths and subsequent non- statutory guidance.
A tried and tested structure – The syllabus is based on the model developed in Singapore, which has been tested and refined over the last 30 years.
How the scheme is used – The scheme demonstrates the spiral approach. This approach allows pupils to learn mathematical concepts well and deeply. The approach builds pupils’ depth of understanding and mathematical fluency without the need for rote learning. Learning is presented in small-step, logical sequences organised into individual lessons. The sequence of lessons is carefully organised with clear lines of progression.
Lesson Structure – There are five main stages to the lesson:
Exploration – The teacher will present the whole class with a problem to explore which is the central focus of the whole lesson. During this part of the session, pupils work in groups, exploring the tasks themselves. After teachers have presented the problem and set a time for exploration, their role is observation and assessment. They are giving their class independence to experiment.
Structured discussion – A teacher led, whole class discussion. The aim is to use targeted questions to draw out from the group, different method to discuss and any misconceptions to rectify.
Practice – Textbooks and Workbooks are used to provide guided and independent practice. Each chapter also includes a ‘Mind Workout’ to encourage pupils to work on their greater depth thinking.
Journalling – The aim of journaling is to give learners a question or task based on the lesson’s problem i.e. creating a story for an equation, taking a Guided Practice question and explaining the calculation, picking one method for solving a problem and justifying why it is most effective. This allows pupils to explore new ideas and an opportunity to develop their communication skills by learning to articulate their ideas and explicate their mathematical thinking that surfaced during exploration.
Reading – An opportunity for the pupils to reflect upon which methods they think are the most effective and why.
Click to download:
| Year 1 At A Glance | Year 2 At A Glance | Year 3 At A Glance |
| Year 4 At A Glance | Year 5 At A Glance | Year 6 At A Glance |
PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Mathematics
Maths — No Problem! materials use real-world contexts to help pupils understand the importance of mathematics in their everyday lives. The progression of calculation skills, focusing on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division is developed using a Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach and delivered through problem solving. Download our Maths – No Problem Calculation Policy by clicking the title above.
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Key Points of Mastery
Whole class moves through content at the same pace When teaching maths for mastery, the whole class moves through topics at broadly the same pace. Each topic is studied in depth and the teacher does not move to the next stage until all children demonstrate that they have a secure understanding of mathematical concepts. Time to think deeply about the maths Students are given time to think deeply about the maths and really understand concepts at a relational level rather than as a set of rules or procedures. This slower pace leads to greater progress because it ensures that students are secure in their understanding and teachers don’t need to revisit topics once they’ve been covered in depth. Builds self-confidence in learners In a traditional primary school maths lesson, children are put in different groups and given different content based on their anticipated ability. This means that from an early age children are classed as those who can and can’t “do maths”. Teaching maths for mastery is different because it offers all pupils access to the full maths curriculum. This inclusive approach, and its emphasis on promoting multiple methods of solving a problem, builds self-confidence and resilience in pupils. Differentiates through depth rather than acceleration Though the whole class goes through the same content at the same pace, there is still plenty of opportunity for differentiation. Unlike the old model, where advanced learners are accelerated through new content, those pupils who grasp concepts quickly are challenged with rich and sophisticated problems within the topic. Those children who are not sufficiently fluent are provided additional support to consolidate their understanding before moving on. Basis for the 2014 National Curriculum For Maths Teaching maths for mastery is a key plank of the Government’s education reforms and is reflected in the 2014 English national curriculum for mathematics. The NCETM, Department for Education and OFSTED have all endorsed this evidence-based approach which is a key part of the work within the Maths Hubs Programme |
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| click to download: | Definition of Knowledge |
Multiplication Tables Check 2023
The Multiplication Tables Check is a key stage 2 assessment to be taken by pupils in Year 4 (in June). The purpose of the Multiplication Tables Check is to make sure that Year 4 pupils can recall their times tables fluently. Knowledge of multiplication tables helps children to solve problems quickly and flexibly, and allows them to tackle more complex mathematics later on in school.
Check out this useful information especially for parents/ Carers…
multiplication_tables_check_for_parents_2023
Useful Websites
National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics
Teaching for mastery: Children’s chances of succeeding in education and life will be maximised if they develop deep and lasting procedural and conceptual mathematical understanding. The NCETM’s teaching for mastery section explains the rationale for this teaching approach, and presents case studies from schools, together with interviews with teachers involved in mastery projects through the Maths Hubs programme.
BCC Bitesize homepage
BBC’s online education resource spanning all the key stages.
NRICH
The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.
Times Table Rockstars
In either paper form or online, Times Tables Rock Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice.
Helping your child at home with Maths
Helping your EYFS child at home with Maths
Our Maths policy can be found on the School Policies page.