Maths at our school

At Springhead Primary School we recognise that mathematics is an essential life skill and we are committed to enabling our children to become proficient mathematicians through developing their skills to calculate, to reason and to problem-solve. Our high expectations for every child demonstrate our belief that all children can achieve in mathematics and that there is no such thing as a ‘Maths person’.

At Springhead we have adopted a mastery approach to develop a deep understanding in mathematical concepts and procedures. Our approach aims to provide all children with access to the curriculum, enabling them to develop independence, confidence and competence.

Key features of our teaching for mastery:

• Concepts are taught in small, coherent steps, making links and connections to other maths topics
• Fluency in number and calculation is key so that children can apply their knowledge and understanding to reasoning and problem-solving.
• The use of manipulatives and pictorial representations in all year groups are used to ensure conceptual understanding for subsequent procedures and mathematical notation.
• Common misconceptions are addressed through questioning.
• Pupil talk is used to strengthen understanding and develop explanation and reasoning skills. Sentence stems are used to support learning and children are taught to use appropriate mathematical vocabulary
• Variation is used to challenge thinking and strengthen understanding
• There are no set ability groupings; children are continually assessed formatively then supported or challenged appropriately. Challenge is provided through deepening understanding rather than accelerating knowledge acquisition.

To support fluency and automaticity in concepts, there is a bespoke daily 5-a-day (Y1 and 2) and Fluent in 5 (Y3-6) which helps develop pupils' long term memory.

Regular intervention is in place for any child who needs lesson follow-up support, as well as for learning number facts and multiplication tables.

Online platform

To support learning and recall, we subscribe to Doodlemaths, which is an exciting and engaging platform designed to support and motivate children in practising their maths.

Children in Y1 – 6 have individual logins to access the platform. Doodlemaths assesses the children as they go along and targets areas where they need more support.