Maths at Barr View Primary
Intent
Mathematics is all around us and at Barr View Primary Academy our intent is to create a love of mathematics where everyone has the opportunity to make sense of the world around us through developing the ability to calculate, to reason and to problem solve.
We aim for all pupils to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas and to also apply their mathematical knowledge to the wider curriculum. Our school follows the three main aims of the National Curriculum which are to develop fluency, reasoning and problem solving.
Through our daily mathematics lessons at Barr View Primary Academy, our principal intent is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding and we do this by using the CPA (Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract) and mastery approach. We have high expectations of our pupils and strive to make the mathematics curriculum accessible to all, providing tools to scaffold learning and questions to challenge deeper thinking. Pupils across a year group will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. We recognise that all children need a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning in order that future learning is built upon firm foundations. Our lessons give children opportunities for:
- Problem solving
- Open and closed tasks
- Individual, group and whole class discussions and activities
- A range of methods for calculating e.g. mental, informal, formal
- Practical activities and mathematical games
- Using a wide range of concrete equipment to support e.g. Base 10, Numicon, place value counters, number squares, digit cards, number lines and lots more.
- Times Tables Rock Stars (KS2) and NumBots (KS1). We celebrate the children’s achievements with Times Tables Rock Stars each week in the celebration assembly where the class with the highest engagement win the trophy.
Implementation
At Barr View Primary we have implemented the use of Teaching for Mastery to enhance pedagogy and in turn make a difference to our pupils' mathematical understanding. Within the Teaching for Mastery approach there are five 'big ideas' which we follow:
Representation and structure – Mathematics is abstract. The representations provide access and develop children’s understanding.
Mathematical thinking – Teaching children to spot patterns, relationships, reasoning and connections within mathematics.
Fluency - Developing efficiency, accuracy and flexibility. Knowing number facts so it does not get in the way of conceptual problems. Being able to confidently communicate mathematically through the use of sentence stems.
Variation – Representing the same problem in different ways to deepen understanding and make connections.
Coherence – Lessons are chunked into small, connected steps. The lessons build in difficulty with each small step, first requiring learners to recall past learning before exploring new related learning.
We believe that the key to success with all learners is quality first teaching. This is promoted through ongoing bespoke professional development (including support from the Maths Hub, as well as subject knowledge enhancement and teacher research groups via NCETM). Planning is underpinned by the 5 Big Ideas of Teaching for Mastery using schemes from the Department for Education approved list, White Rose (KS1 and KS2) and Power Maths (EYFS), to provide a coherent learning journey. We follow a long-term plan, which allows the children to re-visit objectives as well as build on new objectives for each area.
Fluency
In EYFS and KS1, children participate in additional, daily teaching sessions for fifteen minutes called Mastering Number. The NCETM programme focuses on the key knowledge and understanding needed in Reception classes, and progression through KS1: ensuring pupils leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and number.
In KS2, there are additional arithmetic and fluency sessions timetabled to take place at least four times a week in order to develop fluency with basic number facts, such as number bonds, addition and subtraction facts and multiplication tables.
Impact
The impact of mathematics education at Barr View Primary Academy is inspiring - enabling pupils to embrace and achieve. Pupils develop foundational numeracy skills that empower them to confidently solve mathematical problems, reason logically, and make informed decisions in everyday life. By mastering fundamental numerical skills, our pupils build a strong mathematical mindset. Ultimately, the impact of mathematics empowers our students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and contributors to a numerate community.