Mathematics
Our INTENT is for children to be competent mathematicians, who are eager to engage with new concepts and ideas, and who can apply their mathematical skills using a variety of representations and in new contexts with confidence.
In order to IMPLEMENT this, our curriculum has been carefully developed and sequenced through liaison with the NCETM in order to support children in developing mathematical mastery. All children take part in a daily mathematics lesson, where they are encouraged to try challenges, ‘have a go’ and view ‘mistakes’ as an important part of our learning process. The children develop a conceptual understanding through the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract sequence where children begin with handling physical resources to support learning, before moving to pictorial representations and finally to abstract recording. The children are given a variety of opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge they have been taught, including using real-life contexts.
We strongly believe in the importance of mental fluency, so we are fully committed to the NCETM Mastering Number project 2021/2022. Through this, our lead teachers are developing our whole school approach to mental fluency, with every child from Reception to Year 2 taking part in four weekly mental fluency lessons in addition to the daily mathematics lessons. The children in Nursery are also provided with regular opportunities to explore mental fluency through song, games and practical activities.
To find out more about the Mastering Number project, please follow this link: Mastering Number | NCETM
Mathematical talk is an essential part of lessons and children are given regular opportunities to engage in purposeful mathematical dialogue enabling them to clarify, refine and extend their knowledge and understanding.
Follow these links to find out more about how we implement our curriculum:
National curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Swing Gate School Mathematics Policy
Swing Gate School Calculation Policy
The IMPACT of this approach is that the children will secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense. They will be able to master each domain of mathematics, building on their prior learning in order to acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject. The children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number.
How can you help?
- Talk to your child about their learning- what are they learning in their maths lessons each day?
- Talk about numbers all around you- door numbers, car registration numbers, bus numbers etc.
- Help develop number fluency by playing counting games- playing cards, dice and board games are all fantastic opportunities to practise mental fluency.
- Link maths to everyday activities- counting objects, paying with money in a shop, looking at patterns in nature, weighing ingredients, using mathematical language such as “more than” and “fewer than”.
- Communicate positive messages about maths to your child- we want all children to believe that they can succeed at maths
Follow this link to read our parent guide to mathematics:
Swing Gate School Parent Guides
Things to do at home
Websites which you can access and use at home include:
- https://whiterosemaths.com/parent-resources
- https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/maths/
- ICTGames.com
- Transum.org
- FamilyMathsToolkit.org.uk
- Crick Web Early Years
- Top Marks - Maths Games
- www.mathsisfun.com
- NRich Maths
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 Addition and subtraction within 10
Year 1 Addition and subtraction within 20
Year 1 Multiplication and division
Swing Gate Lane, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 2LJ
01442 863913
admin@swinggate.herts.sch.uk