Mathematics

We encourage a positive attitude in our children where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning, encouraging them in the belief that by being resilient they can succeed. We wish to dispel the misconception that people are born with or without a gift for maths and that with high expectations and resilience the sky is the limit for all.

We wish to enable our children to achieve mastery in mathematics by providing learning opportunities to develop:

•          fluency in understanding and manipulation of number and calculation methods.

•          the ability to reason mathematically

•          the ability to problem solve in maths and across the curriculum.

We aim to provide challenging and nurturing learning environment where mistakes are viewed as opportunities for new neurological pathways to be formed.  We set high expectations and levels of challenge but plan and deliver learning opportunities that are accessible for all.  We create interesting contexts where children can apply their maths learning across the curriculum. 

•  become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.’ (National curriculum page 3)

• Organises learning into sequences of learning made up of 'small steps'.
• Enables children to embed learning by revisiting maths topics on a weekly basis throughout the year.
• Focuses on key pieces of 'declarative knowledge' each half term.

Blackwater Maths Lesson Outline

This outline is to ensure that ALL maths lessons at Blackwater School have a consistent approach that embeds previous understanding of concepts, procedures and knowledge whilst creating the environment and opportunity for new learning.

Fluency - retrieval and revisiting previous learning following a cyclical programme to embed declarative, procedural and conceptual understanding.

Key components are:

Declarative knowledge: “Sticky facts” (Specific number facts or formulae using targeted retrieval to achieve automaticity).

Procedural knowledge:  Rehearsal of systematic methods in line with calculation policy to achieve accuracy and efficiency in calculating.

Conceptual understanding:  Focus on underlying structures and relationships to achieve good ‘number sense’.

Reconnect to old learning - recap learning from previous lesson using retrieval practise to ensure a secure foundation for next step

New Learning - Teaching of new knowledge in small steps taken from pyramid planning. Next steps taught making explicit the links with pyramid planning on the working wall.  Clear modelling using procedures and representations consistent with the calculation policy with explicit focus on teaching misconceptions throughout. Opportunities for purposeful practise using variation to deepen understanding.

Twist

Opportunities to practise a new procedure/concept where questions are given a ‘twist’. The ‘twist’ will  expose misconceptions, develop and provide opportunities to explain reasoning.

Deep Dive  

Problem solving opportunities:

Using strategies, procedures already learned in a new context.

Opportunities to explore and explain concepts, procedures, patterns and relationships.

Opportunities to deepen conceptual understanding and to ‘generalise’.

Evaluate - link to next lesson and end point.