Maths

Maths at Riverside

At Riverside Primary School we provide a mathematics curriculum which is accessible to all and maximises the development of every child’s ability and academic achievement. We deliver lessons that are creative and engaging and embed the importance of mathematical thinking in everyday life. We endeavour to equip pupils with the necessary skills and understanding to develop fluency and mathematical reasoning. As our pupils progress, we also aim for them to develop their sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. We aim to prepare our pupils with mathematical skills that will help them in their adult everyday life and prepare them for employment opportunities. We aim to instil resilience in our children when learning maths. We want them to be aware of their personal learning journey, how far they have come and how they can strive forward to achieve further goals and targets.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Within the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception), the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework is followed. The ‘Maths’ aspect of the Early Years curriculum is followed.

Maths teaching is both integrated into the overall topics or themes of the half term and also taught as discrete lessons. During EYFS, children learn to:

Experiment with his/her own symbols and marks as well as numerals

Count objects, actions and sounds

Link the number symbol (numeral) with its cardinal number value

Understand the 'one more than/one less than' relationship between consecutive numbers

Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts (ELG)

Have a deep understanding of number to 10, including the composition of each number (ELG)

Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5 (ELG)

Talk about and explore 2D and 3D shapes (e.g. circles, rectangles, triangles and cuboids) using informal and mathematical language; 'sides', 'corners', 'straight', 'flat', 'round'

Understand position through words alone, e.g. "The bag is under the table," - with no pointing

Describe a familiar route

Discuss routes and locations, using words like 'in front of' and 'behind'

Talk about and identifies the patterns around him/her, e.g. stripes on clothes, designs on rugs and wallpaper as well as using informal language like 'pointy', 'spotty', 'blobs' etc

Describe a sequence of events, real or fictional, using words such as 'first', 'then...'

Select, rotate and manipulate shapes in order to develop spatial reasoning skills

Investigate composing and decomposing shapes and recognise a shape can have other shapes within it, just as numbers can

Continue, copy and create repeating patterns

Notice and corrects an error in a repeating pattern

Compare length, weight and capacity

Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognise when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity (ELG)

Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally (ELG)

Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system (ELG)

Key Stage 1

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in Key Stage 1 is to ensure that pupils develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This should involve working with numerals, words and the four operations, including with practical resources (e.g. concrete objects and measuring tools).

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching should also involve using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money.

By the end of Year 2, pupils should know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value. An emphasis on practice at this early stage will aid fluency.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at Key Stage 1.

Lower Key Stage 2

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower Key Stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations, including number facts and the concept of place value. This should ensure that pupils develop efficient written and mental methods and perform calculations accurately with increasingly large whole numbers.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including with simple fractions and decimal place value. Teaching should also ensure that pupils draw with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning so they can analyse shapes and their properties, and confidently describe the relationships between them. It should ensure that they can use measuring instruments with accuracy and make connections between measure and number.

By the end of Year 4, pupils should have memorised their multiplication tables up to and including the 12 multiplication table and show precision and fluency in their work.

Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.

Upper Key Stage 2

The principal focus of mathematics teaching in upper Key Stage 2 is to ensure that pupils extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This should develop the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio.

At this stage, pupils should develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems. Teaching in geometry and measures should consolidate and extend knowledge developed in number. Teaching should also ensure that pupils classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties and that they learn the vocabulary they need to describe them.

By the end of Year 6, pupils should be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division, and in working with fractions, decimals and percentages.

Pupils should read, spell and pronounce mathematical vocabulary correctly.