Maths Subject Leadership
We aim for our children to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics so that they will be able to reason mathematically and solve problems through an application of knowledge in a range of real-life contexts.
It is important to us that all of our children develop a love of and feeling of success around mathematics and, as a result, secure a deep and sustained conceptual understanding of their learning.
Gilded Hollins Primary School
Subject Leadership of Maths
Autumn 2022
We aim for our children to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics so that they will be able to reason mathematically and solve problems through an application of knowledge in a range of real-life contexts.
It is important to us that all of our children develop a love of and feeling of success around mathematics and, as a result, secure a deep and sustained conceptual understanding of their learning.
Curriculum Intent
We aim for our children to develop and grow into well-rounded, high-achieving mathematicians. Using the long term plans from White Rose Maths as a framework, teachers plan a sequence of lessons using the White Rose Small Steps. Each step does not always equate to a lesson and steps may be taught together in one lesson or spread over a few lessons when learning isn’t embedded. We use the concrete, pictorial and abstract (CPA) approach to teach maths which helps children to build it, physically manipulate it, draw it and eventually visualise it without the need for equipment. In simple terms, it is like learning to ride a bike: first the stabilisers are required (concrete); then the stabilisers are removed and an adult supports the bike (pictorial); and finally the child rides the bike unsupported (abstract). Written methods are taught alongside practical ones and we use models and images to support our teaching. This is developing right through our school, so even the most confident mathematicians will be able to refer to and use concrete models and images to explain and reason their mathematical ideas and processes. We firmly believe that maths is all about making connections, recognising patterns and developing a sense of number. For example, if I know 7x8=56, then I also know that 70x8=560 and I also know 14x4=56. In class, we encourage children to use sentence stems to say what they see with their ‘maths eyes’ and discuss patterns so that they have a sense of number for calculating, reasoning and problem solving.
Independent activities for children are selected to ensure the coverage of the three strands of mathematics: fluency, reasoning and problem solving tasks. In the main, they are primarily taken from the White Rose scheme. However, due to the needs of different cohorts, staff identify if the resources provided from the scheme provide suitable support and challenge and if not, they add a ‘reasoning twist’ or supplement resources from a range of places such as: NCETM, NRICH, I See Resources by Gareth Metcalfe and/or Classroom Secrets. Staff have provided a range of problem solving tasks, including: two-steps or more word problems, logic problems, finding all possibilities, finding rules and describing patterns and diagram problems and visual puzzles.
Our Calculation Policy has been updated to mirror and explain the progression of tactile, pictorial and formal approaches to calculating. The Calculation Policy clearly exemplifies the strategies to follow when teaching, as well as the progression through the 4 operations, which provides continuity of teaching and understanding for pupils and parents as they move up the school.
Although the main aim is to support these children with their maths work, our secondary aim is to help parents to see how each approach develops. Parental workshops and modelled examples via Seesaw or the school website are provided to support any learning that takes place at home.
Curriculum Implementation
Children have access to a high quality, sequential maths curriculum that is both challenging and enjoyable and responds to the needs of the children.
Each year group has a one-hour daily Mathematics lesson which usually takes place in the morning. It is recommended that children work using appropriate Kagan structures, thus listening and learning from their peers and refining their coaching techniques, ensuring that no child is left behind. Children work both collaboratively and independently solving problems which require them to persevere and develop resilience. Teachers select resources from a range of well-informed schemes and websites to suit their cohort’s needs. Teachers and LSAs may have focus children in which they support and guide at some point during the lesson. These children may be SEND children, border line in relation to age related expectations or more able children. To support learning further, each classroom displays a working wall containing pictorial representations, methods and useful vocabulary.
Children with additional needs are included in whole class lessons and teachers provide scaffolding and regular support as necessary. Pre-teach sessions may be used as an intervention to ensure that prior learning in consolidated and new learning introduced. For those children working outside of the year group curriculum, individual learning activities are planned to ensure their progress.
To support our maths lessons, additional fluency lessons are taught where children can consolidate and develop fluency and pace by using formal written methods, recalling number facts and times tables. KS1 follow NCTEM’s Mastery in Number programme every morning as they enter the classroom. In KS2, a greater emphasis has been placed on the teaching of times tables in preparation for the statutory assessments for Y4. Children complete weekly times tables activities with the aim of beating their score each week. Times Tables Rockstars is used to reinforce this. To support fluency sessions further, children complete weekly times table and arithmetic questions as part of their homework.
Good practice is shared with class teachers. The subject leaders keeps ideas fresh and current with information from network meetings, highly recommended blogs and government updates. Currently, this includes editable resources for developing reasoning skills across the maths curriculum.
This year, all teaching staff (teachers and LSAs) have worked in partnership with the North West Maths Hub to receive CPD and improve their approach to teaching mathematics. To further develop our practice, the Subject Leads have conducted learning walks, a book scrutiny and pupil voice interviews to ensure the implementation of CPD in lessons and constructive feedback has been given.
Curriculum Impact
Assessments are stored on Insight. Here are the results for the 2021-2022 academic year. We have taken a SS of 100 as expected and 125 as above expected standard. Teacher assessments are in brackets.
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Key Stage 1 data (2021-22)
Attainment
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| Expected | Greater Depth | |||||
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| Maths | 80% | 17% |
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Key Stage 2 data (2021-22)
Attainment
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| All children |
| Expected | Greater Depth | |||||
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| Maths | 90% | 16% |
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Progress Measures KS1 to KS2 – Average Scaled Score per Pupil (2021-22)
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| Maths Progress Score | +0.85 |
Multiplication Check
25/25 | 23-24/25 | 20-22/25 | Below 20 |
26 (87%) | 1 (3%) | 1 (3%) | 2 (7%) |
Analysing current KS1 data, 90% achieved expected, 20% above the national expected level. There was no discrepancy in gender achieving expected standard and 36% of boys achieved greater depth in comparison to 20% girls. It should be noted that there are 20 girls and 11 boys in the class.
Analysing current KS2 data, 12% more girls achieved expected whereas no girls achieved greater depth. It should be noted that there are 19 girls and 12 boys in the class.
Teachers monitor progress continually and adjust their teaching accordingly. Teachers use the White Rose End of Block Assessments as pre-assessments to identify any areas of weakness to be addressed during pre-teach interventions. These are then used again as post-assessments to see how much progress each child has made and if there are any further gaps to address.
Formal assessments are carried out towards the end of each term using a published test - PUMA. From the PUMA test, a percentage of questions correctly answered is generated. Children achieving 55% or more are said to be working at the expected standard and children achieving 85% or more are said to be working above the expected standard. Answers are analysed as a whole class and as specific groups to see if there are any identifiable trends within the data. With this information and scores, this helps to determine which children need extra support and which may need to be extended and challenged within lessons. These tests are also based on new attainment guidelines and help to show whether children are working below, at or above the expected level for their age group, as the previous levelling system is now obsolete.
Y2 and Y6 complete previous Maths SATs test on a termly basis. Answers are analysed as a whole class and as specific groups to see if there are any identifiable trends within the data. With this information and scores, this helps to determine which children need extra support and which may need to be extended and challenged within lessons. These tests also indicate if children are working below, at or above the expected level for their year group. In the Summer term, children in Y2 and Y6 complete statutory tests and the results of these are reported to the authority. For Y2, this is an arithmetic paper and a reasoning paper. For Y6, this is an arithmetic paper and two reasoning papers.
In all year groups, all these different tests are used to support, inform and help confirm teacher assessments that provide on-going monitoring and review of the subject. In the Foundation Stage, the children are assessed on entry and continually throughout the year in order to support and guide learning.
Our next steps are:
- To increase the numbers of low attainers and SEN (target 20%) reaching expected levels in maths.
- To raise the attainment of children achieving greater depth in KS2 (particularly girls).
- To ensure that activities and resources are provided to ensure challenge for all.
- Each class to display a current working wall, with carefully scaffolded support, vocabulary/images and steps to success to aid all learners.
Look how well we’ve done!
Maths at Gilded Hollins
Maths across the Curriculum
