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Mathematics

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“A good school provides a rounded education for the whole person.

And a good Catholic school, over and above this, should help all its students to become saints….” Pope Benedict XVI, 2010

 

"Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline, it is essential to everyday life. A high quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject." Mathematics National Curriculum 2014)

At Holy Family School we strive to ensure that Mathematics work is meaningful and purposeful. We wish pupils to feel confident and competent when using mathematics to enable them to make sense of the world and to solve problems. We follow the White Rose steps of learning to provide the children with a range of fluency and reasoning activities. There is a strong emphasis on the teaching of arithmetic skills and the children complete arithmetic tasks each week.

Throughout the school, children are given opportunities to engage in practical work using relevant materials and equipment, this is considered essential as the basis for the acquisition of the key concepts in Mathematics. Alongside this, the children also learn fundamental number facts and relationships which are the foundation of future work in Mathematics.

At Holy Family we use a variety of different teaching methods to engage and enthuse children in a Mathematics curriculum that is suited to their needs. We employ a creative curriculum at Holy Family and although Mathematics is taught as a stand-alone subject, we do incorporate a creative aspect within the subject by planning investigative work based on the topics being taught.

A range of formal and informal assessments are carried out by all teachers to ensure that each child progresses at their own rate. This allows children to work towards their own personalised targets and help them become independent learners.

Throughout the school children are taught mathematics by their class teacher in mixed ability classes. All pupils have a daily mathematics lesson, in addition to the daily lesson, various intervention groups are in place in school to support all learners. In partnership with all schools within The Xavier Catholic Education Trust, we follow the White Rose maths scheme.

EYFS

At Holy Family we know the importance of providing practical opportunities for the children to develop and apply their mathematical knowledge to their own learning. Through exploration and play the children can be motivated to think critically and begin to solve everyday problems through applying their learning to new experiences. 

Children in Early Years have the opportunity to work with number and shape, space and measure. We aim to provide engaging indoor and outdoor learning experiences, to develop confidence and secure knowledge and understanding across all areas of the mathematics curriculum.

Key Stage 1

In Key Stage 1, Mathematics is delivered through practical activities to make lessons fun and engaging. We carry out mathematical activities both inside and outside of the classroom, using a range of different resources to support learning and embed a secure understanding.

The main focus within Mathematics in Key Stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency within whole numbers, counting and place value. This involves working with numerals, words and the four operations. Children are encouraged to use mathematical vocabulary when discussing different topics. Mathematical vocabulary is displayed in classrooms and around our school to ensure that children have access to it on a day to day basis.

Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2, Mathematics continues to be taught in a fun, engaging and enjoyable way. Children continue strengthening their knowledge and understanding of the four operations and apply this knowledge in a variety of ways solving problems and completing a variety of investigations.

At Holy Family we acknowledge the importance of children being able to apply mathematical knowledge to real life experiences; it is essential, therefore, that children develop strong mental maths skills to achieve this. To become confident in developing mental maths strategies, the children must know their times tables. Regular practise is planned for in the delivery of mathematics but we do ask that extra time is spent learning these number facts at home.

The 2014 Mathematics National Curriculum expects that by the end of Year 4, children will know all the times tables facts up to 12 x 12. Please work with us to encourage your child to learn their times tables.