How maths is taught at Church Lench CE First School
How Maths is taught at Church Lench CE First School
Intent
At Church Lench CE First School, we believe that in order to make connections between Maths and the real world, children must demonstrate a good understanding of concrete, pictorial and abstract concepts and be able to use and manipulate number in a range of different ways. We embed this approach from EYFS to Year 5, according to our whole-school calculation policy, to develop confident problem solvers, independent thinkers and well-rounded individuals who can go on to use these skills throughout their lives.
Class One
In Class One, Maths is planned and taught discretely to children in Reception and Year One, due to the differing requirements of the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum for Year One.
In EYFS, lessons are planned from the Early Years Framework and are differentiated according to children's developmental stage. Children are taught using a range of formal and informal methods: They have time in small groups to learn new concepts with their teacher and are also given time each day to consolidate their learning using a wide range of practical resources, both inside and outside the classroom. The use of practical resources is embedded from EYFS and children are encouraged to use these to help them to represent numerical concepts.
In Year One, lessons are planned using objectives taken from the National Curriculum. Children receive five maths lessons per week where they participate in a whole-class activity and then group activities with the teacher/ TA followed by a challenge activity. On Fridays, children have the opportunity to practise their problem solving skills, consolidating their learning from throughout the week. In Year One, children make use of many practical resources, such as wipe clean number lines, bead-strings, 100 squares, ten frames, part-whole models, multi-link cubes, counting object and counting rhymes. The use of these is introduced in year one, and children have independent access of these up to Year Five.
Class Two
In class 2 maths is planned using the small steps from the White Rose planning for years 2 and 3. Where possible objectives are matched so both year groups are working on similar objectives. Whole class teaching is used to teach year 2 new concepts and used as a recap and retrieval for year 3s. Then while year 2s are practising and consolidating their work, the teacher works with the year 3s to move their learning on using the year 3 objectives.
Each maths lesson starts with calculations. Children are challenged to answer questions quickly and accurately using knowledge they already have as well as giving them opportunities to spot relationships between facts and try out new methods and strategies.
The aim is for all students to progress through the curriculum at a similar pace and interventions to enable this happen either the same day or the next day. This usually consists of recapping, discussions and checking understanding, as some children need a little more time to become confident. All children are given the opportunity to solve problems when they have become proficient with the core learning.
All children have access to independent maths resources such as bead strings, number lines, multiplication grids, base 10, Numicon, multi-link cubes, dice and place value cards, although our aim is for children to become proficient in abstract methods as well as using manipulatives.
Class Three
In Class Three, maths is also planned using the small steps from the White Rose mixed-age planning for year 4 and 5. Where possible, both year groups are taught together and objectives are differentiated accordingly. In cases where the objectives from each year group do not match, children are split into year groups and receive input appropriate to their age-related expectations.
Lessons in Class Three begin with a mental and oral starter, to recap and consolidate understanding of different areas of maths. Whole-class input is then delivered at different levels, and children are offered different levels of challenge within this. In Year 4 and 5, children are encouraged to become more independent with their learning and they choose challenges, guided by teachers, appropriate to their level of understanding.
Independent activities in lessons integrate fluency, problem solving and reasoning across each area of maths, and are chosen according to the needs of the children. Children are encouraged to solve open-ended and prove-it style problems to articulate their understanding and use concrete, pictorial and abstract methods for their explanations.
Every Friday, children participate in times tables challenges, where they are encouraged to work to beat their own score and increase their fluency each week. For the second part of the session, children work on how to use effective mental maths strategies and how to apply these to different types of problem.
Children in Class Three have independent maths resources such as bead strings, number lines, multiplication grids, base 10, Numicon, multi-link cubes, dice and place value cards.