Mayfield Primary SchoolMathematics: Vision
MATHEMATICS LEADER
Mrs Gaskell
'ALWAYS START WITH WHY'
What is Mathematics?
How do mathematicians learn and work?
We have set out in these two website pages how we consider these questions with our children by mapping out and delivering a clear, consistent and challenging curriculum for our children to meet their needs. You can download copies of every central document at the base of the relevant pages (VISION or CURRICULUM OVERVIEW) in PDF format. The subject guide and policy itself can be found at the base of this page.
To take a look at our curriculum overview page CLICK HERE.
Our Vision For Mathematics
At Mayfield, we believe mathematics is a powerful influence on the future lives and opportunities of our children. Being a confident mathematician enables children to navigate and solve real-life problems. We are committed to equipping our pupils with the necessary knowledge and understanding to succeed in the next phase of their mathematics education and beyond.
We have designed our maths curriculum with our children’s long-term futures in mind and know that we are laying the foundations they will need in future employment and as financially literate citizens.
As teachers, we want our children to know that the maths they learn inside and outside of the classroom has the potential unlock doors in their futures as scientists, engineers and designers. We also believe that a rapid recall of ‘mental arithmetic’ strategies and the underlying concepts of number are particularly important to this future success and confidence in daily life. When children leave us to take their next steps as mathematicians, we work to ensure they have the underlying reasoning and subsequent fluency and problem solving knowledge and skills to succeed.
How We Plan For, And Teach, Mathematics
Children’s starting point position is central to our Classroom Craft philosophy and is a core driver for the following ways in which we deliver mathematics in the classroom.
* The use of pre-learning diagnostic assessments to determine starting children's points for every unit of work. No child is pre-set to a seat or group. We use our pre-learning judgements to personalise where our children begin. Nothing is assumed. Nothing is generic. Our mathematics teaching requires reflective and pro-active teaching.
* Children 'peel off' at relevant points within the lesson. Starting at either PURPLE 1, PURPLE 2 (Initial Reasoning) or GREEN (Increasing Fluency and Competence) based upon our pre-assessment and live marking during guided learning - GREEN forms the expected standard for the year group. GOLD is the layer that follows (which specifically focuses upon applied, extension problem solving). There is an emphasis at GOLD upon demonstrating understanding and applying in different ways rather than simply making numbers bigger!
* Modelled learning gathers relevant groups together within lessons and targets just those children who require that input. Then at each level of guided learning our children then 'peel off' and apply their learning to the relevant level of reasoning or fluency. It is personalised. It challenges - but is never requires our children to repetitively complete endless questions. Let's make our children think, learn from mistakes and move them forward at the correct pace.
* Self marking and immediate live marking is applied as often as possible. We embrace mistakes and corrections. Trial and error is encouraged. Less may be more!
* Another adult is another teacher! Adults work together so that the teacher can lead learning, whilst the additional adult monitors, intervenes and offers live feedback. It becomes a 'team' philosophy that really works - when the staffing and budgets levels enable this to happen!
* FAST TRACK is a key strategy. This is deployed for those children who can immediately move to a higher starting point based upon pre-assessment. We don't waste time moving children through levels - we move immediately to the correct stage. Our teaching assistant team are vital in enabling this dynamic starting point - where available. Our horseshoe philosophy is so important to the successful teaching and learning approach in mathematics and is particularly the case when considering FAST TRACK. GOLD questions are key to fast track direction.
* Groups within the room are dynamic. They can change from unit to unit and within lessons. Intervention is enabled within lessons as a way of brining children with common errors or misconceptions together for additional input. Intervention is pro-active and live, rather than re-active or detached from the lesson.
* Each room has a Mathematics Station. Built as a hub for practical resources and key message reminders and prompts for independent support.
* Marking Bays have been established to increase independence and apply appropriate pace to learning. All layers of activity have limited questions meaning that progress, rather than quantity, is a measure of impact. Just doing 25 of the same questions is wasted time. Learning, building confidence and then moving on to the next challenge is our aim.
This philosophy looks carefully at applying learning in different ways and encourages wider ways of showing understanding. It is not about making bigger numbers - the depth of the challenge is key. We feel that this system teaches a little less but really embeds the key mathematical concepts.
Mathematics’ presence is maintained through the central position of the Mathematics Stations in each classroom, whilst the profile of mathematical reward, achievement and celebration throughout the school year is maintained via the role of Student Subject Champions, Subject Celebrations and Subject Achievement Displays. Rewards always have a specific eye upon personal progress rather than summative attainment.
Mathematics continues via our enrichment, wider curriculum opportunity: Flanimals: Mental Arithmetic Games which runs during the year.
How We Assess Mathematics Learning
How we plan and teach mathematics, outlined above, covers much of our daily approach to assessment in the subject: pre-learning assessments; peel off starting points; modelled direction; fast track; live and self-marking; deployment of additional adults. These all demonstrate our starting point assessment methods in mathematics classrooms. As a result, teachers plan responsively for next steps - often using the aforementioned strategies and build a picture as to each child’s progress and attainment from unit to unit and across broader periods of time.
Summative judgements are submitted formally twice a year using the Key Milestones Assessment Document, using the evidence gathered in children’s work, stating whether each child is working at the expected standard, towards the expected standard, at greater depth within the expected standard or at a pre-key stage standard.
Supplementing each of the above is our Brain Gym opportunities which are devised as a planned opportunity for daily review and to recap upon prior learning - keeping knowledge fresh and aiding long term retention.
Flanimal Games are used to keep those mental arithmetic skills fresh and to monitor progress in this vital area. Key Knowledge Mats provide essential checklists, fundamentals and guides for all stakeholders (including families) to follow in terms of mathematical attainment for each academic year.
How We Adapt Learning, And Record Outcomes, In Mathematics
Our children offer a huge range of daily starting points and school readiness, therefore we have carefully considered ways of demonstrating progress and outcomes and how these must be adaptable to suit the needs of learners and the requirements of the subject. Therefore each subject has its own bespoke way of gathering evidence from learners that are not simply restricted to traditional pupil exercise books - otherwise recording work becomes a barrier to learning rather than a chance to celebrate children’s achievements and specialist skills and knowledge in areas where they may otherwise excel.
In Mathematics, children’s work is gathered in:
Individual Exercise Books/Work Books (Created By Class Teachers To Support Our Teaching Model)
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A Mathematician's Vocabulary
A core set of mathematical based terminology is highlighted within each unit on our Mathematics Stations within each classroom and displayed on the Key Knowledge Mats for each year group.
This ’set of terminology’ has been created by the Mathematics Leader who has considered progression and when to introduce new terms, however repetition of key words is also central to our thinking. Therefore you will find a mixture of new words and consistently recurring ones across school.In all cases, the use of terminology links to the units being studied.
You can find this terminology within the relevant year group Key Knowledge Mat.
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Mathematics Enrichment Opportunity:
Flanimals Club as part of our beyond hours offer.
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My latest work as Mathematics Leader.....
* establing the Key Knowledge Mats and Flanimals as aides for learning and subject knowledge across school.
* constantly reviewing the layer of challenge at purple and green stages to ensure it remains appropriately challenging across each year group.
* monitoring the use of the 'pre-learning' diagnostic assessments to consider how these are used to determine unit starting points for learners.
Busy, positive times and always the next development to be thinking about. We are simply getting our heads down and cracking on with it.