We strongly believe at Whitegate End that having the key mathematical skills of fluency, reasoning and problem solving and basic arithmetic prepares our pupils to flourish in the wider world.

How Maths is taught

KS1

In years one and two maths is taught daily with an emphasis on basic skills and exploring number using a range of both concrete and pictorial resources. In year 1 the transition from our Early Years unit is carefully bridged and children are directly taught in tailored groups and then have the opportunity to apply their skills through play and weekly rainbow challenges.

In year 2 we continue to develop place value and number to ensure pupils have the basic skills required to access all areas of the curriculum whilst providing them with the opportunity to learn about geometry, fractions and statistics. We want to immerse them in maths and give them lots of opportunity to explore maths throughout the day. 

KS2

In Key stage two maths is taught daily and every opportunity is used throughout the school day to supplement this, for example during morning challenge time or at the end of the school day. We have a strong focus on arithmetic as we believe these key basic skills are the foundation to exceeding in the different areas of the maths curriculum.

In years 3 and 4 children have weekly lessons based on 4 key operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In years 5 and 6 there is a weekly focus on arithmetic.
In addition to this in KS2 children study geometry, time, measurement and statistics.

Curriculum

We use Whiterose to ensure correct coverage of the National Curriculum, however in addition to this teachers create their own resources to ensure that the individual needs of our children are met.

We have developed a mastery approach for teaching maths at school, Mastery is based on the idea of children not moving on until they are secure in their understanding of a particular concept. The whole class is taught the same thing, at the same time, with children learning at an appropriate level through support and enrichment. Challenge is offered through higher order questioning and activities that develop deeper understanding, problem solving and reasoning skills.

Assessment

Teachers assess learning on a lesson by lesson basis and use this to inform their planning. Each unit covered will be followed by a unit assessment which is used to identify gaps and support children with further intervention. Children will also complete termly assessments based on what they have learned during the term.

Statutory Assessments

Children in year 4 complete an online multiplication check taken during the summer term to assess their proficiency in all times tables up to 12.

Year 6 children will complete 3 assessments during May designed to test their arithmetic skills and their ability in reasoning and problem solving.