Welcome to the maths blog.
We believe that every child can succeed in maths. Pupils are not ‘born with the maths brain’ or ‘rubbish at maths’. With good teaching, sufficient time, practise and a ‘can do’ attitude, all children can achieve in and enjoy mathematics.
The National Curriculum for maths requires that all pupils:
- use mathematical concepts, facts and procedures appropriately, flexibly and fluently;
- recall key number facts with speed and accuracy and use them to calculate and work out unknown facts;
- have sufficient depth of understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures that they can use them to solve a variety of problems.
At Rosendale we have a teaching for mastery approach to maths. Teaching for mastery means that we keep the class working together on the same topic, at the same time. We aim for all pupils to master the curriculum and for some to gain greater depth of proficiency and understanding. We provide challenges for pupils by going deeper rather than accelerating into new mathematical content. Acceleration is likely to promote superficial understanding, rather than the true depth and rigour of knowledge that is a foundation for higher mathematics. Where individual children need longer to embed their learning we provide extra opportunities such as during assemblies, Learning Together time or through additional sessions with a teacher or TA. We recognise that there will be a very small number of children who need to receive specialised support in an alternative group due to specific educational needs. These sessions will be run by a TA, LSA or teacher with guidance, support and monitoring from the maths lead.
Teaching for mastery also means spending more time teaching each topic to allow for the development of depth and sufficient practice to embed learning. We teach fewer things in greater depth, to make sure learning is secure rather than over-rapid progression to new content. There is link on the maths blog to an overview of each year’s curriculum. Please be aware we use this for guidance and often make changes and adaptations. For more up to date information, parents should look at the class blogs.
It is important that children commit key facts, such as number bonds and times tables, to memory. This takes time and practise and opportunities are given in Learning Together time every week for the children to practise these key facts.
We believe that all children should have the opportunity to build understanding in the following ways;
– Using concrete objects and manipulatives to build understanding.
– Using pictorial representations to help reason and solve problems.
– Using both concrete and pictorial representations to support understanding of abstract methods and concepts.
At Rosendale we do not set homework but parents and carers can help their children at home in many ways. This could be playing board games, practising counting, spotting numbers, learning number bonds and times tables practice.
Check here on the maths blog where ideas and information will be updated.
Esther Gee
Deputy Headteacher and Maths lead
Maths at Rosendale 