At Meppershall Academy we understand that a high quality Maths education provides a foundation for understanding the world. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, necessary for financial literacy and many forms of employment.
Our children are taught to solve problems, reason and think logically, work systematically and accurately with a range of mental and written methods. We foster a positive ‘can do’ approach to maths. Pupils are encouraged to persevere, even when they are challenged and mistakes are seen as a genuine part of the learning journey.
We want our children to develop an enjoyment of their mathematical learning, by providing opportunities to learn independently and in co-operation with others and be able to apply their skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of contexts.
Our curriculum follows the White Rose Scheme whose mantra is ‘Everyone can do Maths.’ This is a progressive scheme from Early Years onwards which aims to ‘shape happy and resilient mathematicians who relish the challenge of maths.’
Teachers use the scheme as a base to plan a daily maths lessons for the pupils in their class at the appropriate level.
Our school has worked closely with the Enigma Maths Hub to develop teachers’ professional learning and practice with the aim of improving pupil learning. Each unit of work begins with pupils having access to a range of practical resources and pictoral representations to support their understanding of the concept being taught. Pupils are encouraged to look for patterns within lessons and to make connections by applying previously learned knowledge. The use of mathematical language is consistently promoted in all lessons to ensure that pupils are able to communicate confidently within the subject. Pupils will repeat important learning points aloud to reinforce understanding. They will be given opportunities to solve problems, taught to reason in a logical manner and be expected to demonstrate, in a verbal or written way, how they know an answer is correct. Lessons are carefully sequenced and move in small steps in order for all pupils to keep pace.
Mental fluency, quick recall of number bonds, number facts and times tables are considered a vital part of Mathematical learning. In addition to the daily maths lesson, pupils across the school are taught a separate 10-15 minutes fluency lesson each day. KS1 pupils follow the Maths Mastery Number program which supports the development of confidence and flexibility in number from Reception onwards. In KS2, pupils follow the Maths Mastery Number program in Year 4 and 5 and the Fluent in Five approach in Year 3 which provides opportunities to practice formal calculation methods and for pupils to discuss and share approaches to problem solving.
The use of TT Rockstars, a carefully sequenced programme of times tables practice, is used across the school, but especially in Key Stage 2, in order to improve pupils rapid recall of times tables facts and to help prepare for the Year 4 Multiplication Check.
By the end of Year 6 we aim for our pupils to be ready to transition to the next stage of their education as confident mathematicians with the ability to apply their knowledge accurately. They should have the skills and resilience to solve problems and reason using the correct mathematical vocabulary.
Formative assessment, continuous monitoring of a pupil within the lesson, is used daily within each class to inform planning and the next steps for each pupil. Teachers and pupils mark work together, often as a whole class, to provide immediate feedback, help address any misconceptions and to further develop understanding.
Summative assessments take place at the end of each unit of work and allow pupils to demonstrate their understanding of mathematical concepts.
Monitoring of Maths takes place regularly and includes learning walks, lesson observations, book scrutiny and pupil voice. This is used to inform further curriculum development.