Maths
At Curledge Street Academy we recognise the importance of mathematics as an essential and critical skill to everyday life as well as underpinning knowledge and understanding across other areas of the curriculum. The understanding of mathematics starts in the early years where children practise their skills of cardinality and counting to 5 and then 10 and early Shape Space and Measure in small groups with adults and through provision. As children move into Reception classes, they begin to explore mathematics in short whole class inputs and then through learning opportunities within their continuous provision. A carefully planned progression of skills and knowledge based on the NCETM framework for EYFS is followed with a focus on developing mathematical understanding through concrete resources, pictorial representations and finally into the numerical abstract.
Throughout Key Stage One and Two, daily maths lessons take place using a range of resources such as Power Maths, NCETM and White Rose Hub. Online resources, My Maths and Times Table Rock Stars are used to support learning in school and at home.
Lessons are structured using a small steps approach to build understanding through the lesson with opportunities built in for children to tackle problems of increasing complexity and demonstrate understanding at a mastery with greater depth level.
We know that fluency is key in being able to solve problems efficiently and confidently, whether this is fluency in terms of recalling number facts or in terms of being able to quickly choose a suitable strategy. Our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes are part of the Mastering Number project run by the NCETM which aims to give pupils a firm foundation in number sense which is developed as they move through the school. We practice multiplication table facts regularly from year 3 onwards to build on the understanding of multiplication developed in KS1. In KS2 we review calculation methods weekly to keep methods in the forefront of pupils’ minds and to identify gaps and misconceptions so that these can be addressed.
Children’s knowledge and understanding is checked termly using the PUMA standardised maths papers. Gaps in understanding are identified and interventions planned to catch children up.
Opportunities to use and apply mathematical skills in other curriculum areas are planned for.
These are the formal written methods that children in each year group will be working towards using by the end of that year. They will explore informal methods on the way and may also use practical resources to support their understanding of the formal method.
We are now beginning to set Maths homework on the MyMaths website. The tasks we set will either be related to the learning the children have been doing in class, or be aimed at practising number facts.
Parents will receive a letter explaining how their child will be able to access this; they will have their own user-name and password as shown on the letter, and we will keep a record of this in school. The children will be shown in class how to find and complete their homework, but please let us know if you are having difficulty using the website!
Since not everyone has access to the internet at home we also provide the opportunity for children to use the chromebooks in school during a set lunchtime to complete their homework if they wish.
The child’s teacher will review the completed homework regularly online to see how they are getting on.
The MyMaths website can be found by clicking on the link below:
Power Maths Calculation Policies
