Sherwood Park Primary School

“Every child has an enquiring mind about the world and their place in it.”

At Sherwood Park Primary School, our Mathematics curriculum aims to develop confident, resilient and enthusiastic mathematicians who understand the relevance and importance of mathematics in everyday life. We promote enjoyment of learning through practical activity, exploration, discussion and problem-solving, enabling children to make meaningful connections between mathematical concepts and the world around them.

We aim for all children to develop secure mathematical knowledge and understanding through the three core areas of fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. Children are encouraged to develop confidence with number and mathematical facts through regular practice and recall, while also developing the conceptual understanding needed to apply their knowledge in increasingly challenging and unfamiliar contexts.

Our curriculum aims to ensure that children leave Sherwood Park Primary School with the knowledge, skills, confidence and resilience needed to use mathematics successfully in their future education and everyday lives.

Intent

At Sherwood Park Primary School, our intent is to provide a rich, balanced and progressive Mathematics curriculum that enables every child to:

• Develop fluency and confidence with number, calculation and key mathematical facts.
• Develop a deep conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas rather than relying solely on procedures.
• Become confident in reasoning, problem-solving and explaining mathematical thinking.
• Apply mathematical knowledge and skills to a range of real-life and unfamiliar contexts.
• Develop appropriate mathematical vocabulary and communicate mathematical ideas clearly using spoken, written, pictorial and practical representations.
• Make connections between different areas of mathematics and build on previous learning.
• Develop resilience and perseverance, understanding that mistakes are an important part of the learning process.
• Become increasingly independent in selecting appropriate strategies, resources and representations.
• Experience appropriate challenge and opportunities to develop greater depth, with all pupils supported to make progress from their individual starting points.
• Recognise the importance and relevance of mathematics in everyday life and understand how mathematical knowledge can be applied beyond the classroom.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure that knowledge, skills and understanding build progressively from EYFS through to the end of Key Stage 2. Our curriculum planning, calculation policy and chosen mathematical resources support teachers in delivering a consistent and progressive approach to mathematics across the school.

Implementation

Our Mathematics curriculum is implemented through carefully sequenced teaching that builds on prior learning and ensures that pupils have regular opportunities to develop fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills.

• Teachers use the White Rose Maths curriculum and planning resources to ensure that learning is carefully sequenced and that mathematical knowledge and skills develop progressively across the school.
• The school's agreed calculation policy provides a consistent approach to the progression of written and mental calculation strategies.
• Teachers use assessment information and knowledge of pupils' prior learning to identify starting points, address misconceptions and adapt teaching where necessary.
• Prior learning activities and retrieval questions are used to identify pupils' existing understanding and prepare them for new learning.
• End-of-unit and termly assessments are used to identify pupils' understanding and inform future teaching.
• Formative assessment is embedded throughout lessons through questioning, discussion, challenge questions, mini-plenaries, observation and review of pupils' work.
• Children are provided with regular opportunities to develop fluency, including the recall and application of key number facts and calculation strategies.
• Pupils regularly engage in reasoning and problem-solving, including opportunities to explain, justify, prove and evaluate their mathematical thinking.
• Teachers use practical resources, pictorial representations and mathematical models to support pupils in developing secure conceptual understanding and making connections between representations.
• Pupils are encouraged to select appropriate equipment, representations and strategies to support their learning and solve problems independently.
• Teachers provide appropriate challenge and opportunities for greater depth, ensuring that challenge is based on mathematical understanding rather than simply the amount of work completed.
• Pupils who require additional support receive appropriate scaffolding, intervention and opportunities to revisit and consolidate prior learning.
• Pupils with SEND and those who have gaps in their mathematical knowledge are supported through adaptive teaching, targeted intervention and carefully selected resources.
• Pupils are given opportunities to work collaboratively and independently, developing mathematical language, confidence and resilience.
• Feedback and assessment are used to identify next steps and address misconceptions, enabling pupils to make progress in their mathematical understanding.
• Teachers receive ongoing subject-specific CPD to develop their mathematical subject knowledge and confidence. Good practice is shared across the school and monitoring is used to identify further professional development needs.
• Mathematical learning is supported through class working walls, key vocabulary, worked examples and appropriate representations that enable pupils to become increasingly independent.
• Opportunities are provided for children to develop their recall of multiplication and division facts through regular practice and engaging activities.
• Parents are encouraged to support children's mathematical learning through home learning, mathematical activities, parent meetings, reports and opportunities to discuss their child's progress with teachers.

Impact

The impact of our Mathematics curriculum is reflected in pupils' knowledge, skills, confidence and attitudes towards mathematics.

At Sherwood Park Primary School, our pupils:

• Demonstrate increasing fluency and accuracy when recalling and applying mathematical knowledge and facts.
• Develop secure conceptual understanding and can explain how and why mathematical methods work.
• Apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
• Can reason, justify and explain their mathematical thinking using appropriate mathematical vocabulary.
• Make connections between different areas of mathematics and between their current and previous learning.
• Become increasingly independent in selecting appropriate strategies, representations and resources.
• Demonstrate resilience and perseverance when faced with mathematical challenge and understand that making mistakes are an important part of the learning process.
• Can communicate their mathematical thinking verbally, pictorially and in written form.
• Demonstrate progression in their mathematical knowledge and skills from their individual starting points and against age-related expectations.
• Are increasingly confident when tackling unfamiliar problems and are willing to explore different methods and strategies.
• Understand that mathematics has a clear purpose beyond the classroom and can identify ways in which it is used in everyday life.

The impact of our Mathematics curriculum is evaluated through a range of evidence, including pupil voice, book scrutiny, learning walks, lesson observations, formative and summative assessment, progress data and moderation.

Assessment information is used to identify pupils who require additional support, further challenge or opportunities to consolidate learning. Where gaps or misconceptions are identified, teaching and intervention are adapted accordingly.

Mathematics books demonstrate progression and a balance of fluency, reasoning and problem-solving, while pupil voice demonstrates that children can discuss their learning, explain their mathematical thinking and make connections with previous knowledge.

Ultimately, our aim is for every child to leave Sherwood Park Primary School as a confident, resilient and capable mathematician, equipped with the mathematical knowledge and skills needed for the next stage of their education and for everyday life.