Maths
Maths at LHPSN
At LHPSN, our intention of the maths curriculum is that all children are provided with a high-quality mathematics education to become competent and fluent mathematicians, with self-belief and a deep and secure understanding of concepts. We strive to embed the skills needed to build children’s conceptual understanding, reasoning and problem solving.
We believe that all children can succeed in mathematics and our growth mindset approach is embodied in our Can-Do Kangaroo Maths Mascot. This character helps children to remember the positive messages we embody in our vision for mathematics. We intend that all children believe they can achieve excellence; that they can learn from both mistakes and challenge; and that they can experience a sense of awe and wonder as they investigate number, structure, space and change. With this approach mirroring LHPSN’s motto, ‘Dream, Believe, Achieve’, we wish all pupils to leave our school with an enjoyment, confidence and love for the subject.
Our Curriculum Implementation
To achieve our vision, we have adopted a Teaching for Mastery approach to our mathematics curriculum. Children are guided along a coherent, small step journey together, using concrete, pictorial and abstract representations to explore concepts and build connections, with opportunities to both support and challenge thinking and reasoning. This approach ensures a deep, secure understanding for all and provides all children with full access to the curriculum, enabling them to achieve confidence and competence – ‘mastery’ – in mathematics.
What does Maths look like at LHPSN?
Our Maths Curriculum Policy can be found here:
It is important to us that children enjoy maths and see its relevance in everyday life, hence we try to design our maths lessons to be interactive and engaging.
The Foundation Stage
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we relate the mathematical aspects of the children’s work to the Development Matters statements and the Early Learning Goals (ELG), as set out in the EYFS profile document. Mathematics development involves providing children with opportunities to practise and improve their skills in Number and Numerical Patterns (ELGs). In addition, our curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills.
The main driver for our curriculum in EYFS is NCETM’s Mastering Number programme. This project aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children. Children visit early concepts from this programme in Nursery, before following the 31-week Mastering Number project fully in Reception. The focus is on subitising (recognising an amount without counting) and developing a deep understanding of numbers to 10 using a variety of representations, including Numberblocks, tens frames and Hungarian number frames (dice patterns) and rekenreks. This video shows the rekenreks in action.
Years 1 to 6
Our mastery approach is supported by the use of the ‘Maths – No Problem!’ programme across the school, along with a range of other resources to create further challenge and problem solving, such as White Rose, I See Maths and nRich activities. Each Maths lesson is planned to a carefully designed structure that first aims for children to explore new concepts under the close supervision of their class teacher, followed by an opportunity for guided practice before independent tasks. This allows for more successful learning, that is connected to existed knowledge and avoids misconceptions.
Further details about our lesson structure can be found here: Maths Lesson Structure
Skills progression, covered by the Maths – No Problem! resources, through Years 1 to 6 can be found here: Maths – Progression of Skills
In Maths, we are keen to focus on oral and mental calculation strategies, problem solving and investigational work rather than providing a multitude of mechanical pencil and paper based tasks. Written calculations are taught of course and though we are aiming for our children to be proficient in reliable and efficient methods we also want them to understand the maths behind the procedure.
For more detail on this please see our calculation policy linked here: LHPSN Maths Calculation Policy
At LHPSN, we understand the importance for children in becoming fluent in procedures, concepts and key instant recall facts (KIRFs). In addition to our main maths lessons, we provide daily opportunities for children to keep arithmetic skills ticking over and to practise and learn KIRFs. Having quick, accurate and efficient recall and application of these procedures and number facts to hand, vastly reduces cognitive load for our children, when they are challenged to solve more complex, unfamiliar problems. As well as daily practice in school, children are given further opportunity to secure these facts through weekly home learning tasks.
For further information about the KIRFs can be found here: LHPSN Key Instant Recall Facts SKILL PROGRESSION
Alongside this we work alongside Glow Maths to deliver Mastering Number in KS1 and KS2 to build on the foundations learnt in EYFS with the aim that children will have fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number that exemplifies good number sense.
Times Tables Rock Stars
TTRS is a platform to develop your child’s confidence and enjoyment with their times table. Your child will have a unique username and password (if you aren’t sure on this then please ask your class teacher) and they can access any of the sections to increase their automaticity with their times table facts.
Information Evening- Introduction to Maths teaching at LHPS for EYs and KS1.
We have held an online workshop for Early Years and KS1 parents to discuss approaches to Maths at school. Slides can be found here-Presentation October 2023op-FINAL-2023.pdf
Year Group Medium Term Plans
Click on the links below:
Curriculum Corner
To gain an insight into Maths in action, take a look at our new Curriculum Corner article here: Maths Curriculum Corner Autumn 23 and one from last academic year by clicking this link: Maths Curriculum Corner Spring 23.
Useful Resources for Parents
Parent Videos– “Maths No Problem”
Important Maths Messages to Share