Maths

Our aim is to develop a positive attitude towards maths through creating an atmosphere where children feel a sense of purpose and achievement. We strive to ensure that our children leave primary school, not only confident in the use of a wide range of skills, but also with an understanding of maths that will enable them to be successful through secondary education and beyond.

Our maths curriculum is engaging and challenging at all levels. Children are taught in small guided groups within the class, as this allows teaching to focus more effectively on individual, rather than whole class needs. Teachers are viewed as facilitators: guiding, challenging, developing, thinking and deepening understanding.

Skills and strategies are taught in contexts that are familiar to the children. They understand how maths is relevant to real life through the use of everyday contexts and are encouraged to use maths skills in other areas of the curriculum. This supports children in the understanding that maths is not just in school, it is everywhere.

Children are given regular opportunities to solve problems within maths. These challenging opportunities are often linked to real life contexts which helps to build and refine children’s problem solving skills as well as resilience and perseverance (two of the schools learning behaviours). These skills are not only useful for other areas of the curriculum but they help to ready children for life outside of the school environment.

We place great emphasis on talk in maths. Encouraging children to talk about their learning and explain their understanding helps them to identify their own strengths and areas for development. It allows them to question their thinking and it enables them to reflect critically on their learning, refining their skills and strategies without anxiety and the fear of failure. This includes discussion on anything from different strategies used to complete a calculation to reasoning why one method is more efficient than another.

Parental support is highly valued by the school. We also hold regular events during which parents are warmly invited to find out how their children learn. Please see the slides from our most recent parent’s workshops below.

                       Key Stage 1 meeting slides                                  Key Stage 2 meeting slides

  Woodlea Calculation Policy