What Maths looks like at St Laurence
At St Laurence, we believe that Mathematics is essential for everyday life. Our curriculum develops confident, curious and resilient mathematicians who understand that Maths is not simply about completing calculations, but about exploring patterns, making connections, explaining ideas and solving problems.
We want children to recognise how Mathematics is used in daily life, financial literacy, future employment and the wider world. We also want them to experience Maths as an enjoyable, engaging and rewarding subject.
We follow the National Curriculum for Mathematics and use White Rose Maths to support the planning and sequencing of lessons. Children receive varied and frequent opportunities to practise their skills, develop secure conceptual understanding and apply their knowledge accurately and efficiently.
Our curriculum aims
Through our Maths curriculum, children will:
• become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics
• develop secure conceptual understanding
• recall and apply important facts accurately and efficiently
• reason mathematically using appropriate vocabulary
• describe, explain, convince, justify and prove their ideas
• solve routine and non-routine problems
• identify patterns and make connections
• select appropriate strategies and representations
• apply mathematical knowledge to everyday situations
• approach challenges with confidence, curiosity and perseverance
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How we teach Maths
Maths is taught through carefully sequenced lessons which build upon children’s previous knowledge and understanding.
Teachers use clear explanations, modelling, practical resources and visual representations to introduce and explore mathematical concepts. Children move between concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract mathematical notation so that they understand both how and why a method works.
Lessons include a balance of:
• fluency and calculation
• mathematical reasoning
• problem-solving
• practical exploration
• discussion and explanation
• independent work
• paired and collaborative learning
• retrieval and regular practice
Children are expected to use mathematical vocabulary when discussing their ideas. They are encouraged to explain their methods, compare different approaches and provide evidence to support their conclusions.
Previously taught knowledge is revisited regularly so that children retain important facts and can apply them confidently in different contexts.
Our mastery approach
We use a mastery approach to the teaching of Mathematics. This means that children are given sufficient time to explore and understand a concept before moving on to new learning.
The majority of pupils move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. Teachers use appropriate scaffolding, resources and targeted support to ensure that all children can access the learning while maintaining ambitious expectations.
Decisions about when to move on are based on the security of children’s understanding and their readiness for the next stage.
Children who grasp a concept quickly are challenged through rich and increasingly sophisticated reasoning and problem-solving tasks rather than being moved prematurely onto new content. Children who require further support receive additional explanation, modelling, practice and opportunities to consolidate earlier learning.
Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving
Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving are central to every part of our Maths curriculum.
Fluency
Fluency involves much more than remembering facts. Children develop secure knowledge of mathematical relationships and become increasingly accurate and efficient when choosing and applying methods.
Regular practice helps pupils recall important facts quickly, freeing them to concentrate on more complex reasoning and problem-solving.
Reasoning
Children are taught to follow a line of enquiry, identify relationships and explain their mathematical thinking.
They learn to:
• describe what they notice
• explain how they reached an answer
• compare different methods
• convince others that an idea is correct
• justify their decisions
• prove or disprove mathematical statements
Problem-solving
Children apply their knowledge to a variety of familiar and unfamiliar problems. They learn to break complex problems into smaller steps, select suitable strategies, identify relevant information and persevere when the solution is not immediately clear.
They learn to break complex problems into smaller steps, select suitable strategies, identify relevant information and persevere when the solution is not immediately clear.
Mathematical vocabulary
Mathematical vocabulary is taught explicitly as an essential part of every lesson.
Children need to understand the vocabulary associated with the area of Mathematics they are studying and use it accurately when explaining their thinking.
Teachers model appropriate language and provide opportunities for pupils to discuss patterns, relationships, methods and conclusions. Children are encouraged to make connections between vocabulary used in different areas of Mathematics.
Developing secure mathematical language helps children explain their reasoning, understand questions and participate confidently in mathematical discussions.
What children learn
Throughout Key Stage 2, children develop their knowledge, fluency and confidence across the main areas of Mathematics.
• Number and place value
• Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Fractions, decimals and percentages
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Statistics
• Algebra
Times tables
Secure knowledge of multiplication and division facts is crucial to children’s progress in Mathematics.
Times tables support learning across many areas, including:
• written multiplication and division
• fractions
• decimals
• percentages
• ratio
• area
• problem-solving
Children who can recall these facts quickly are able to concentrate more fully on the reasoning and processes required within increasingly complex tasks.
We place a strong emphasis on times tables throughout the school and use Times Tables Rock Stars to support regular practice. This enjoyable and challenging programme encourages children to develop rapid and accurate recall through frequent rehearsal.
Supporting times tables at home
Regular, short periods of practice are usually more effective than occasional longer sessions.
Families can support children by:
• practising one times table at a time
• asking multiplication and related division questions
• looking for patterns within tables
• using Times Tables Rock Stars
• playing times table games
• practising in a different order rather than always beginning at one
• discussing which facts children already know and which require more practice
Parents can also access our Parents’ Guide to Times Tables and the Parents’ Guide to Times Tables Rock Stars for further ideas and support.
The Multiplication Tables Check
Children in Year 4 complete the statutory Multiplication Tables Check.
The purpose of the check is to determine whether pupils can fluently recall their multiplication tables up to 12 × 12. Secure recall supports children’s future success across the Mathematics curriculum.
Throughout Key Stage 2, children are given regular opportunities to develop their speed, accuracy and confidence before completing the check.
Key Instant Recall Facts
To develop children’s fluency and mental calculation skills, we use Key Instant Recall Facts, known as KIRFs, throughout the school.
KIRFs are important facts which children learn by heart so that they can recall them quickly and accurately. These may include:
• number bonds
• multiplication facts
• division facts
• doubles and halves
• fraction, decimal and percentage relationships
• facts involving measures and time
These facts underpin much of the Mathematics curriculum. Secure recall allows children to work more efficiently when completing mental and written calculations and when solving more complex problems.
Each half term, children focus on a particular KIRF in school. This is also shared with families so that it can be practised regularly at home.
Frequent practice for short periods is particularly effective. By developing instant recall, children become more confident with number work and are better able to access the wider Maths curriculum.
By the end of Year 6
By the end of Key Stage 2, children will be able to:
• recall and apply important number facts accurately and efficiently
• use appropriate mental and written calculation methods
• demonstrate secure conceptual understanding
• select appropriate strategies for different tasks
• use mathematical vocabulary confidently
• explain and justify their methods
• identify patterns and mathematical relationships
• make connections between different areas of Mathematics
• solve increasingly complex routine and non-routine problems
• check whether their answers are reasonable
• interpret and present mathematical information
• apply Mathematics to everyday situations
• approach mathematical challenges with confidence and resilience
Enrichment and wider opportunities
Children are encouraged to recognise and apply Mathematics beyond their usual Maths lessons. Opportunities may include:
• mathematical games and investigations
• practical challenges
• problem-solving activities
• times tables competitions
• applying Maths through Science
• collecting and interpreting data
• measuring within Design and Technology
• using coordinates and scale in Geography
• exploring financial literacy
• using Mathematics within Computing
These experiences help pupils understand that Mathematics is relevant, useful and present throughout everyday life.
Supporting all learners
Our Maths curriculum is adapted so that every child can participate, make progress and experience success.
Teachers may use:
• practical equipment and manipulatives
• visual representations
• worked examples
• vocabulary support
• smaller steps
• repeated modelling
• additional rehearsal
• carefully structured questions
• multiplication grids or number lines where appropriate
• paired discussion
• pre-teaching and intervention
Children who need further support are given opportunities to revisit and consolidate their understanding. Pupils who are secure deepen their learning by reasoning, making connections and applying their knowledge to increasingly sophisticated problems.
Adaptations are used to provide access to the same ambitious curriculum rather than unnecessarily limiting the mathematical content children experience.
Personal and spiritual development
Mathematics encourages children to be curious, thoughtful and persistent.
Children experience a sense of wonder as they explore patterns, relationships and the order found within numbers, shapes and the wider world.
They learn that challenges can be overcome through patience, careful thinking and a willingness to try a different approach. Working with others also helps children to listen respectfully, explain their ideas and recognise that a problem may be solved in more than one way.
Through Mathematics, pupils develop resilience and confidence, understanding that mistakes are a valuable part of learning.
Supporting Maths at home
Families play an important role in developing children’s confidence and positive attitudes towards Mathematics.
Maths can be brought to life through ordinary activities at home and in the community. These everyday experiences help children understand why mathematical knowledge is useful.
Maths moments at home
Families can support mathematical learning by:
• using money when shopping
• comparing prices and calculating change
• reading clocks and timetables
• measuring ingredients when cooking
• estimating distances and quantities
• measuring objects and spaces
• discussing shapes and patterns
• planning journeys
• sharing items equally
• calculating scores during games
• discussing fractions when cutting or sharing food
The most helpful conversations often involve asking children how they reached an answer rather than simply checking whether the answer is correct.
Playing Maths games
Games can make mathematical practice enjoyable and motivating.
Board games, card games and puzzles help children become more familiar with numbers, patterns, counting and strategy. They also develop concentration, turn-taking, reasoning and problem-solving.
Children make the strongest progress when important skills are revisited regularly until they become secure. Games provide a purposeful and enjoyable context for this repeated practice.
Oxford Owl Maths support
Oxford Owl provides advice for families about supporting Mathematics at home.
The website includes:
• explanations of primary Maths terminology
• guidance about what children learn at school
• games and activity ideas
• suggestions for developing mathematical confidence
• support with calculations and mathematical methods
Online Maths activities
We use a range of online games and activities to support mathematical learning. Families may also find the following resources useful:
Topmarks problem-solving games
BBC Bite Maths
Hit the Button
Teaching Tables
Maths Games
Maths Zone
Maths Is Fun
TimesTables.co.uk
Multiplication Tables Check practice tool
Online games should support, rather than replace, discussion, practical experiences and regular opportunities to apply Mathematics in everyday life. The current page provides direct links to each of these resources.