“Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.” – Albert Einstein

The INTENT of learning Mathematics at Clearwell

Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy. Crucially, a sound knowledge of mathematics is vital for young people seeking employment, and securing a qualification in mathematics is a fundamental requirement for the majority of employers. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

In line with the National Curriculum Objectives for Mathematics, our intent is that all pupils:

• • Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
  • Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
  • Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas.
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How Mathematics is taught at Clearwell (Implementation)

• • At Clearwell C of E, children study mathematics daily following the White Rose Maths Scheme of Learning. WRM is a blocked scheme, which allows for depth and breadth of learning within each strand of mathematics.
  • Children engage with a wide and varied range of concrete manipulatives, pictorial representations and abstract methodologies within each session.
  • Learning sessions include the opportunity to develop fluency skills, construct chains of reasoning using relevant knowledge alongside relevant terminology and solve increasingly complex problems in a systematic and coherent way.
  • Sessions include explicit reference to vital mathematical vocabulary and the use of stem sentences to support and encourage all children to communicate their ideas with mathematical precision and clarity. These sentence structures often express key conceptual ideas or generalities and provide a framework to embed conceptual knowledge and build understanding.
  • To revisit of concepts, we use Flashback Four daily. Fluent Recall: We are committed to ensuring that pupils secure their knowledge of Times Tables and Related Divisional Facts by the end of Year 4. Our pupils engage in regular low stakes testing through Doodle tables to practice fluent recall.

The IMPACT of learning Mathematics at Clearwell

At Clearwell, the expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. We aim for each child to be confident in each yearly objective and develop their ability to use this knowledge to develop a greater depth understanding to solve varied fluency problems as well as problem solving and reasoning questions. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on.

Teachers carry out formative assessments in each session and feedback is given to children verbally, through self/peer assessment and through marking. Teachers then use this assessment to influence their planning. Children are rapidly identified as needing further challenge or additional support, and we ensure that this is provided in a timely manner.

Teachers believe that all children can achieve in maths, and focus on whole class teaching. Where prerequisites are not secure, timely interventions will be carried out.

Children complete End of Block assessments for each phase of learning. Results are used to further inform planning and allow for tailored interventions groups to take place to ensure the objectives are secured. Our Assessment Calendar also includes 3 key dates for capturing progress and attainment against National Curriculum Objectives. Assessments are carried out in autumn, spring and summer terms.

We regularly monitor the quality and impact of our mathematics curriculum through targeted learning walks, book scrutiny and pupil interviews. In addition to this, we survey our staff and pupils to identify their perception of mathematics and identify CPD needs.