Maths At the Grove
“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.”
Einstein
INTENT
Mathematics introduces children to concepts, skills and thinking strategies that are essential in everyday life. It helps children make sense of the world around them. Mathematics offers children a powerful way of communicating and stimulates curiosity, fosters creativity and equips children with the skills they need in life beyond school.
Mathematics is important in everyday life and, with this is mind, the purpose of Mathematics at The Grove School is to develop an ability to solve problems, to reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately. All children are challenged and encouraged to excel in Maths. The intention is to provide a classroom environment where all pupils are encouraged to participate and contribute, and where they are supported to develop an understanding of the maths being explored through depth, not acceleration. This mastery approach is underpinned by the 5 Big Ideas (NCETM), which are: Mathematical Thinking, Variation, Fluency, Coherence, and Representation and Structure.
Arithmetic and basic math skills are practised daily to ensure key mathematical concepts are embedded and children can recall this information to see the links between topics in Maths.
IMPLEMENTATION
Mathematics at The Grove School:
- Whole class teaching
All pupils working on the same focus with different support to enable all pupils to access the mathematics independently, with opportunities for children to ‘go’ deeper.
- A connective model
Small steps where mathematical connections are made with previous learning. Pupils recognise and apply their understanding to new ideas and concepts.
- Maths Talk
Pupils belonging to a mathematics community. Agreeing and disagreeing and justifying their thinking. Making decisions both independently and collaboratively. Articulating their thinking using precise mathematical language. The use of questioning to develop understanding.
- Analysis of strategies
Working flexibly to answer questions, reflecting on the efficiency and simplicity of their chosen methods. Making conjectures and generalisations and applying and testing these
- Growth mindset
All pupils prepared to have a go, willing to share even when unsure and understanding that this is when learning is taking place. Being comfortable with not getting everything ‘right’, embracing purposeful struggle.
- Representation
The use of different, appropriate representations, by both adults and pupils, for making sense of the mathematics (exposing structure) and demonstrating understanding
Pre and Post teaching is used to support children with their learning.
Where possible, links are made with other subjects across the curriculum.
- Assessment:
The most effective way to find out what pupils understand about their mathematics is to talk to them. Grove children really understand a mathematical concept, idea or technique if they can:
- Describe it in their own words
- Represent it in a variety of ways (e.g. using concrete materials, pictures and symbols)
- Explain it to someone else
- Make up their own examples (and non-examples) of it
- Make use of it in various ways, including in new situations
At The Grove School we follow The National Curriculum, We aim to develop pupils’ abilities within an integrated programme of number and place value, calculation, fractions, measurement, geometry and statistics, ratio and proportion, algebra with spoken language throughout. Pupils are given opportunities to apply their fluency and reasoning skills across the curriculum.
At The Grove we use White Rose Maths scheme to support our planning but we also use a variety of other resources like materials from NCETM and Babcock Maths No Problem document.
RETRIEVAL PRACTICE
Retrieval Practice happens in every lesson. Every week, children are given a task that focuses on Retrieval in a very focused and systematic way. This usually happens on a Friday.
IMPACT
As a result of our Maths teaching at The grove, you will see:
- Engaged children who are all challenged.
- Confident children who can all talk about Maths and their learning and the links between Mathematical topics.
- Lessons that use a variety of resources to support learning.
- Different representations of mathematical concepts.
- Learning that is assessed each lesson to ensure all children make good progress.
- Children enjoying maths and the challenges and rewards it brings.