Mathematics
Vision
At Rushall Primary, it is our vision that mathematics should be interconnected, cross curricular and creative. We want our children to experience and see mathematics as relevant in real life and the wider world. The teaching and learning of mathematics should be fun, engaging and meaningful. A high quality, connected and creative experience will develop our children’s ability to think, reason and work mathematically. In small and coherent steps, we will provide them with the skills, knowledge and tools to apply their understanding across a range of topics and in a variety of ways throughout their school life and beyond.
Our Approach to Teaching Mathematics
At Rushall we are on an exciting ‘Teaching for Mastery’ journey!
Our aim is for children to enjoy Mathematics and to understand the importance and relevance of it to their everyday lives. We strive to equip all children with the skills and confidence to solve a range of problems through fluency with numbers and mathematical reasoning.
During the last few years we have been working closely with the Central Maths Hub and have had the pleasure of working with a team of highly experienced, passionate, talented Maths Leads. Staff at our school have been developing their own subject knowledge at Parkfields Community School in Saltley, Birmingham, and been part of a Teacher Research Group at Henry Hinde Infant School in Rugby, Warwickshire. Miss Atkins is now a Maths Mastery specialist and will be supporting other schools within the Maths Hub area.
When you come to our school, you may notice that things look a little different to the way Mathematics was taught a few years ago. Here is a useful dictionary for parents - Primary Maths Dictionary
Mathematics Lead: Miss Emma Hawtin
Maths Mastery Specialist: Miss Lianne Atkins
A Mastery Approach
The essential idea behind mastery is that all children develop a deep understanding of mathematics built on solid foundations.
In our lessons you will see all children engaged in their learning and enjoying practical activities. High quality resources are used not only to ‘do’ the maths but to ‘show’ understanding.
With good teaching, appropriate resources, effort and a ‘can do’ attitude all children can achieve and enjoy mathematics.
The national curriculum for this subject aims to ensure that all pupils:
Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics
Reason mathematically
Solve problems by applying their mathematics
Our Mastery approach to teaching this subject, supported by the ‘Power Maths’ scheme, ensures that children do all three of these every day.
Recording our work
You will see in our pupils' books that they show the depth of their understanding using a range of different representations, e.g. the bar model, part-part-whole model, base ten manipulatives, tens frames, pictures. We also ask pupils to explain their mathematical understanding in writing using the correct mathematical vocabulary.
Homework
We aim for all children to develop a strong sense of number. You can help with this by doing any or all of the following:
Count with your children whenever possible, e.g. stairs as you climb them, buttons as they get dressed steps are you walk down the road, cars as you drive along. Adapt the counting to match what your child is currently working on. If you are unsure, speak to your child’s teacher.
Look at pictures in books and talk about how many things you can see in the pictures.
Sing songs involving numbers: Five Fat Sausages; Five Little Ducks; Three Little Monkeys; Five Little Speckled Frogs; One, Two, Buckle My Shoe; Once I caught a fish alive; Ten Green Bottles; Ten in a Bed; This Old Man.
Play games where keeping score is essential.
Practise writing numbers. This can be done outdoors with a paint brush and a bucket of water on a dry path/wall as well as with paper and pencil.
Play online maths games/maths apps – ask your child’s teacher for further guidance
Enrichment homework – our projects encourage family collaboration and participation. They are creative, open ended and often linked to our topics. They foster independent research and presentation skills.