Maths

Vision Statement for Mathematics

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Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected 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 and most forms of employment. 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.

National Curriculum 2014

At Tipton Green Junior School, we have adopted the mastery approach to teaching and learning in mathematics. Mastery involves a deeper understanding of mathematics and how it works. It means being able to use and apply mathematics knowledge to new and unfamiliar situations. To support children in achieving this, we follow the White Rose approach, using their scheme of work and resources. The scheme is used to both support and challenge children’s understanding, in line with the higher expectations of the National Curriculum. We expect most children to move through this programme of study at broadly the same pace. Teachers will make decisions on when to progress based on the security of children’s understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Children who grasp concepts rapidly will be challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier concepts will consolidate their understanding through additional practise and support before moving on.

At Tipton Green, we want children to become fluent mathematicians who can problem solve and reason confidently. We aim:

• To provide interesting and well-planned lessons, where children continually build on the knowledge they have already mastered, to promote children’s enjoyment of mathematics and provide a foundation for enthusiastic lifelong learning.

• To develop children’s mathematical thinking and conceptual understanding, e.g. using concrete manipulatives (objects and practical equipment) and pictorial representations (pictures) before moving onto abstract symbols (numbers and signs).

• To give children opportunities to explain or justify their mathematical reasoning using correct mathematical vocabulary.

• To provide children with plenty of opportunities to solve a variety of problems with differing representations and to make rich connections across mathematical ideas.

• To secure children’s knowledge and accuracy when recalling number facts.

• To deepen the understanding of all children by covering fewer topics in greater depth, not racing through the curriculum.

• To help children acquire and apply the mathematical skills necessary for solving problems, not only in the maths lesson, but also in science and other subjects, in everyday life situations, in their future learning and in the workplace.

• To develop children’s confidence and resilience in mathematics by improving their growth mindset so they can reach their full potential.