Swing Gate Infant School and Nursery

Mathematics

At Swing Gate, we want all our children to become confident, curious and capable mathematicians. We aim to spark a love of maths by helping children explore new ideas and apply their learning in a wide range of real-life and problem-solving situations.

Our Approach to Teaching Maths
To make this happen, we’ve designed a carefully structured maths curriculum with the support of the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). All children take part in daily mathematics opportunities that encourage them to explore, take on challenges, and see mistakes as an important part of learning.

We use a well-established teaching approach called Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA). This means children:

Explore concepts using hands-on resources (concrete)
Use pictures and diagrams to represent their thinking (pictorial)
Record and solve calculations using numbers and symbols (abstract).

Throughout each topic, children also apply their maths skills in real-life and fun contexts, helping them see how maths is all around us.

Building Strong Mental Fluency
We place a big focus on helping children build strong mental maths skills. That’s why we are fully committed to the Mastering Number Project, a nationwide programme led by the NCETM.

Every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 takes part in four Mastering Number lessons each week to develop their number fluency. In Nursery, children are introduced to early number skills through songs, games and practical play-based activities.

You can find out more about the Mastering Number Project here: Mastering Number | NCETM

Talking Maths
Oracy and talking about maths are a big part of learning at Swing Gate. Children are regularly encouraged to discuss their thinking, explain their methods, and share ideas with each other. These conversations help deepen their understanding and build their confidence in using mathematical language.

What Difference Does This Make?
Our approach ensures children develop a solid understanding of numbers and key mathematics concepts from an early age. By the time they leave Year 2, they will be fluent in calculation and feel confident and flexible when working with numbers. Most importantly, they will see themselves as successful mathematicians, ready for the next stage of their learning.

How You Can Help at Home

There are lots of simple and fun ways to support your child’s maths learning at home:

Talk about maths in everyday life – spot numbers on doors, buses or car number plates.
Play number games – dice, playing cards, and board games are brilliant for practising counting and number recognition.
Use real-life maths – weigh ingredients when cooking, count out coins when shopping, or spot patterns in nature.
Use mathematical language – words like "more than", "fewer than", "altogether" and "double" really help build understanding.
Stay positive! – encourage your child and help them believe they can be successful in maths.

Want to see how we teach maths in action?

Watch our video to learn more about teaching for mastery at Swing Gate Infant School and Nursery.

Useful links for more information:

National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study - GOV.UK (www.go

v.uk)

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Swing Gate School Mathematics Policy

Swing Gate School Calculation Policy

Follow this link to read our parent guide to mathematics:

Swing Gate School Parent Guides

Things to do at home

Website's that you can access and use at home include:

You may also be interested in accessing the free White Rose resources for children in Key Stage 1. These complement our curriculum and can be downloaded and printed to use at home.

Click the links below to download these resources:

Year 1 Place value within 10

Year 1 Addition and subtraction within 10

Year 1 Shape

Year 1 Place value within 20

Year 1 Addition and subtraction within 20

Year 1 Place value within 50

Year 1 Length and height

Year 1 Mass and capacity

Year 1 Multiplication and division

Year 1 Fractions

Year 1 Position and direction