Intent

At St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School, our intent for maths is to cultivate a deep understanding and love for mathematics among our children, ensuring that every learner develops the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to apply mathematical concepts in a variety of contexts. Our aim is to foster critical thinking and problem-solving abilities that empower students to become resilient, independent learners.

Our curriculum is designed around the following principles:

• Mastery Approach: Teaching for Mastery aims to provide all children with full access to the curriculum. We strive for all children to achieve fluency in the fundamental concepts of mathematics, promoting the mastery approach where pupils are encouraged to explore, reason and self-correct.
• Real-Life Contexts: We ensure mathematics is engaging by linking concepts to real world applications, thereby stimulating interest and relevancy in their learning.
• Inclusivity and Accessibility: Our curriculum is inclusive, ensuring all children – regardless of their starting point – can succeed and progress. We provide differentiated support and challenge to cater for varying abilities and learning styles.

Implementation

Our curriculum is implemented through a structured and sequenced approach that ensures progression of skills and concepts throughout the primary years.

• Curriculum Framework: Guided by the National Curriculum and supplemented with high quality resources, our curriculum is coherent and logically sequenced. We incorporate varied approaches, including concrete, pictorial and abstract methods to enhance understanding.
• Quality First Teaching: All teachers receive ongoing professional development and training in best practices for teaching mathematics. Through effective use of both summative and formative assessment for learning, we regularly monitor pupil progress, addressing misconceptions promptly and adapting teaching strategies accordingly.
• Collaborative Learning: We promote a culture of collaborative learning, where pupils can engage in paired and group work, allowing them to discuss strategies, share ideas and learn from their peers. This not only develops their mathematical skills but also enhances their communication and team-working abilities.
• Use of Technology: We integrate technology, including interactive software and digital resources, to enrich the learning experience and make abstract concepts tangible. This also encourages independent learning outside the classroom.
• Parental Engagement: We actively encourage the involvement of parents in their children’s mathematical learning, a partnership that is crucial in helping reinforce learning attitudes at school and home.

Impact

The impact of our maths program is reflected in the high standards achieved by our learners and their enthusiasm for the subject.

• Academic Achievement: Our outcomes demonstrate growing improvement in mathematical understanding and performance, monitored by the evidence of attainment in national assessments.
• Conceptual Understanding: Pupils are showing an improving grasp of mathematical concepts and ability to apply their learning in unfamiliar concepts they are developing skills in logical reasoning and articulating their process clearly.
• Growth Mindset: Pupils exhibit a positive attitude towards mathematics and are encouraged to take risks and view them as opportunities for growth. They are developing resilience when faced with challenging problems.
• Progress and Equality: All groups including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities, are encouraged to make strong progress from their individual starting points. Our careful tracking ensures the gaps are swiftly addressed, and every child is supported to achieve their full potential. Giving children a broad appreciation for mathematics as a vital life skill, paving the way for future learning opportunities.

In summary mathematic provision embodies our commitment to deliver an outstanding educational experience with emphasis on the cumulative mastery of essential knowledge and skills in mathematics. So that pupils understand what they are doing rather than just learning to repeat routines without grasping what is happening.

How can you help at home?

There are many ways to help to build your child's confidence in maths. Many fun games and activities you can do with your child practise maths skills. Most children love playing games and it is an easy way to support their learning.

Below are links to useful websites to access at home