At Broomfield Primary School we understand that mathematics is a tool that all people need in their day-to-day lives and so our mathematic curriculum and teaching is carefully planned and tailored to meet the needs of all our children.
We place an emphasis on mental mathematics and encourage children to work out problems in their head before using pencil and paper methods. The children regularly engage in practical activities to develop their understanding during daily maths lessons as well as through other areas of the curriculum. The teachers use a wide range of resources to support the progress of children of all abilities.
At Broomfield Primary School we regard it as essential that our children enjoy their mathematics work and gain a sense of achievement at all levels. We aim to give our children opportunities to develop a sound understanding of basic mathematical concepts through interactive whole class teaching and suitably differentiated activities. We use pre and post assessments to assess learning and ensure that children are provided with the right starting point. We ensure that all pupils follow a broad and balanced mathematics programme based on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for Foundation and children in Year 1-6 follow the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum. White Rose Maths supports our curriculum and is adapted to suit the needs of our children.
The intent of our mathematics curriculum is to design a curriculum, which is accessible to all and will maximise the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement. We deliver lessons that are creative and engaging. We want children to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. We intend for our pupils to be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to other subjects. We want children to realise that mathematics has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. We want them to know that it is essential to everyday life and most forms of employment. As our pupils progress, we intend for our pupils to be able to understand the world, have the ability to reason mathematically, have an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
The aims of our Mathematics curriculum are that all learners:
- 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.
Through the curriculum we aim for the children to 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. They are taught to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language. Our aim is for the children to be able to 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.
Mathematical links to other areas of the curriculum are sought to enable the children to apply these skills in a variety of ways. Children need to understand all areas of mathematics, both concrete and abstract to achieve this.
Pupils are provided with interesting and challenging tasks that enable them to achieve standards in line with their abilities and potential. We ensure that pupils can work individually, collaboratively in groups and within the whole class, to allow pupils to develop as independent learners, able to make decisions about their own work.
