Maths

When our pupils leave Whittingham, they will have established a love for mathematics with a solid foundation to enable them to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in a range of different contexts. Therefore, when teaching mathematics, our curriculum aims to deliver the National Curriculum with a focus on developing mathematical fluency, reasoning and problem solving at its core with the use of White-Rose Maths and Rosenshine’s Principles to support our planning and implementation. We adopt a ‘mastery’ approach to teach Maths; pupils learn in small steps through whole-class interactive teaching and all pupils are provided the opportunity to practise and deepen their understanding of a mathematical concept to secure their knowledge and foster their independence.

Throughout each year, children will cover and build on their understanding in:

We believe it is important for children to be able not only to find the answers to problems but also to be able to explain the reasoning behind their lines of enquiry using accurate mathematical vocabulary. Once they have a firm grasp of each mathematical technique and are secure with their reasoning, we challenge our pupils to use what they have learnt and to make rich connections across the distinct areas to solve problems.

By providing pupils with challenges, we inspire them to become increasingly sophisticated problem solvers.

Whilst at Whittingham our pupils learn the following essential characteristics of mathematics:

• An understanding of the important concepts and an ability to make connections within mathematics;
• A broad range of skills in using and applying mathematics;
• Fluent knowledge and recall of number facts and the number system;
• The ability to show initiative in solving problems in a wide range of contexts, including the new or unusual;
• The ability to think independently and to persevere when faced with challenges;
• To embrace the value of learning from mistakes and false starts;
• The ability to reason, generalise and make sense of solutions;
• Fluency in performing written and mental calculations and mathematical techniques;
• A wide range of mathematical vocabulary;
• A commitment to and enthusiasm in the subject.
   

Teachers plan according to the needs of each class. You can find out more about our Maths curriculum and our Fluency curriculum on our website.

Our mathematics curriculum is based upon White Rose resources which are fully supported by the Department for Education as they meet the requirements of the new curriculum. It provides all the elements that teachers need to teach Maths mastery with confidence and to encourage children to talk using Maths language. 

We measure the impact of our curriculum using the following methods:  

• A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes  
• Termly progress in Understanding Mathematics Assessment (PUMA) which is a suite of termly standardised maths tests which enable each school to track progress, predict future performance and benchmark against national averages.
• Pupil discussions about their learning 

Here are some of the websites and resources which children use to develop their Maths skills.

1. Numbots - Daily practice for KS1 pupils to help with number (subitising; Number Bonds; Addition & Subtraction)
2. Times table quizzes
3. Times Tables Rockstars- Interactive games for practicing times tables 
4. Mirodo- for year 3 and 4
5. SATs Companion- for year 5 and 6