Maths

At Gedney Church End Primary Academy, we believe that mathematics is essential to children's learning and development. Our aim is for every child to become a confident, fluent and resilient mathematician who can use their mathematical knowledge to reason, solve problems and make sense of the world around them.

We want children to enjoy mathematics and believe that they can succeed. Our curriculum develops secure mathematical knowledge and understanding from children's earliest experiences in EYFS through to increasingly complex concepts in Key Stage 2. We have high expectations for all learners and provide appropriate support and challenge so that children make strong progress from their individual starting points.

Our Approach to Teaching Mathematics

Our mathematics curriculum develops three key aspects of mathematical proficiency:

• Fluency – developing secure knowledge of number facts, methods and mathematical relationships so that children can recall and apply them accurately and efficiently.
• Reasoning – encouraging children to explain their thinking, make connections, identify patterns and justify their mathematical ideas.
• Problem solving – enabling children to apply their knowledge and skills independently to increasingly complex and unfamiliar situations.

Teachers provide clear explanations and carefully model mathematical thinking. Children are encouraged to explore concepts using appropriate concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract mathematical notation, helping them to develop a deep and secure understanding.

Mathematical vocabulary is explicitly taught and modelled. Children are encouraged to use this vocabulary when explaining their thinking, comparing strategies and reasoning about mathematical ideas.

Our Mathematics Curriculum

We use White Rose Maths to support the structure and sequencing of our mathematics curriculum, supplemented by carefully selected resources and teacher-designed activities where these better meet the needs of our learners.

White Rose is a resource that supports our teaching rather than defining it. Teachers use their professional knowledge and ongoing assessment to determine the most appropriate representations, examples, questions and tasks for their pupils.

As a small academy with mixed-age classes, our curriculum is carefully organised to maintain clear progression in mathematical knowledge and skills across year groups. Long and medium-term planning is adapted where appropriate to ensure that learning builds securely on what pupils already know while maintaining the ambition and expectations of the National Curriculum.

Developing Fluency

We place particular importance on children developing secure number sense and fluency. Children are given regular opportunities to recall, practise and apply important number facts, including number bonds, multiplication facts and increasingly efficient calculation strategies.

Regular retrieval and purposeful practice help children to remember important mathematical knowledge and use it confidently when tackling more complex learning.

Where gaps in foundational knowledge are identified, teachers provide timely additional teaching and practice so that these gaps do not become barriers to future learning.

Challenge and Support

We have high expectations for all children. Teachers use assessment to identify children's starting points, misconceptions and gaps in knowledge and adapt teaching accordingly.

Children who require additional support receive appropriate scaffolding, representations, modelling and opportunities for further practice. As children's understanding develops, these supports are gradually reduced so that pupils become increasingly confident and independent mathematicians.

Children who demonstrate secure understanding are challenged to think more deeply, make connections, reason, generalise and apply their knowledge to increasingly sophisticated problems rather than simply moving quickly onto new content.

Mathematics in Early Years

Mathematical development begins in EYFS, where children develop strong foundations in number, numerical patterns, shape, space and measure through a combination of explicit adult-led teaching and purposeful opportunities within continuous provision.

Children explore mathematical ideas practically, using objects, representations, stories, songs, games and everyday experiences. Adults model mathematical vocabulary, question children carefully and encourage them to notice patterns, explain their thinking and make connections.

Our Early Years provision gives children frequent opportunities to revisit, practise and apply mathematical knowledge within meaningful contexts, helping them to develop secure foundations for mathematics in Key Stage 1 and beyond.

Assessment in Mathematics

Assessment is an integral part of mathematics teaching. Teachers continually assess what children know, understand and can do through questioning, discussion, observation and children's independent work.

This information is used to identify misconceptions and gaps, determine appropriate next steps and adapt subsequent teaching. Where children require additional support or greater challenge, teachers respond promptly so that all pupils are supported to make strong progress from their starting points.