Intent
In the context of delivering a mastery curriculum, our aims in the teaching of mathematics are: 

• To promote enjoyment of learning through practical activity, exploration and discussion. 
• To develop confidence and competence with numbers and the number system. 
• To develop the ability to solve problems through decision making and reasoning in a range of contexts. 
• To develop a practical understanding in the ways of which information is gathered and presented. 
• To help children understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life.
• 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. 

Implementation

Mathematics is taught to all children, whatever their ability or individual need, as every child has an equal right to an education that involves mathematics. We aim for children to master the key areas and domains in mathematics, narrowing the gap between the least and most able learners. The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programme of study at broadly the same pace, with scaffolds and support as necessary. Decisions about when to progress are always based on the security of pupils’ understanding and readiness. We understand the programmes of study need to be personalised in order to have the desired impact. Pupils who grasp new concepts rapidly will be challenged to deepen their understanding by being offered rich and sophisticated problems, not merely accelerating through new content. 
 

At RPS, teachers will generally follow the recommended progression from the White Rose Maths Hub, which states the national curriculum objectives that need to be covered and provides teachers with a small-step progression guide. Furthermore, the hub offers guidance for lessons detailing the mathematical talk that should be happening in every classroom, varied fluency as well as reasoning and problem-solving examples. However, the decision of when to move onto the next unit is always made by the teacher, based on childrens’ readiness. 

We use formative and summative assessment to help understand how to support and extend our pupils appropriately. Typically, children’s work is recorded in their maths books, though practical or outdoor learning may be recorded differently and stored elsewhere. The use of end of unit assessments enable staff to regularly assess what learning has been retained by pupils over longer periods of time. This allows teachers to identify pupils who are not competent in key mathematical concepts, and how best to support them. Pupils also sit termly standardised tests so that gaps can be analysed. These assessments address the three key elements of the curriculum; fluency, reasoning and problem solving.

Impact

Our children are happy learners who talk enthusiastically about their learning and are eager to further their progress, with the positive impact of ‘mastery’ and the emphasis on accurate use of mathematical language is evident during class/pupil discussions.  

Children are fluent in number and arithmetic and leave primary school with a secure understanding of the four operations. 

Teacher assessment of the depth of learning is increasingly accurate. Engagement in our enterprise week enriches the mathematical experiences of children and supports fluency of basic skills. These factors ensure that we are able to achieve high standards, with achievement at the end of KS2 above that of the national average, as well an increasing proportion of children demonstrating greater depth, at the end of each phase.