Mathematics

Mathematics Curriculum

Mathematics is one of the core subjects and is taught explicitly every day from Reception to Year 6. Mathematics is a key skill which children will apply in all aspects of their daily lives. At Sinai, we aim to deliver high-quality Mathematics lessons, that provide opportunities for children to become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics, whilst gaining a sense of enjoyment for the subject.

The new National curriculum states that

“a high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.”

The curriculum states three key aims for every child:-

• becomes 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.
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

We follow the Mathematics Mastery curriculum, which places great emphasis on deepening conceptual understanding and mastery of number. Application of skills and problem solving are at the heart of all lessons, to ensure that children have the ability to use and apply their skills in a range of contexts. We provide a language rich environment, where children are exposed to key vocabulary and encouraged to use their language skills to reason accordingly.

As part of the mastery approach a positive teacher and pupil mindset are key to student success in Mathematics. It is not the case that some pupils can do Mathematics and others cannot. No pupil should be left behind. The focus is keeping up over catching up. By making high-expectations clear and emphasising the value of Mathematics education, pupils are encouraged to build confidence and resilience. Abilities are neither fixed nor innate, but can be developed through practice, support, dedication and hard work. A positive teacher and pupil mind-set in Mathematics encourages a love of learning and resilience that enables everyone to achieve. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils are given the opportunity to achieve mastery in the key concepts of Mathematics, appropriate for their age group, in order to make genuine progress and avoid gaps in their understanding that provide barriers to learning as they move through education.

Mathematics current practice at Sinai

Here at Sinai, we are following the Mathematics Mastery curriculum. This programme is being followed in Reception – Year 3, with the lesson structure and ideologies being incorporated throughout the school up to Year 6. Maths lessons are taught daily and are followed with a Maths Meeting, which is a quick 15-minute session, covering key concepts.

Mathematics Mastery follows a seamless six-part lesson structure which consists of,

1. Do Now
   This is a quick task all pupils can access without any teacher input as an introduction to the mathematics lesson.
2. New Learning
   The New Learning segment introduces the main mathematical concepts for the day’s lesson.
3. Talk Task
   The Talk Task segment of the lesson practises the new learning by talking about maths with key vocabulary.
4. Develop Learning
   The Develop Learning segment builds on the new learning and develops a deeper understanding of the maths concepts of that lesson.
5. Independent Task
   The Independent task practises learning independently through solving problems.
6. Plenary
   The Plenary segment recaps on the lesson, checking understanding and celebrating success.

“Mathematical language is crucial to children’s development of thinking. If children don’t have the vocabulary to talk about division, or perimeters, or numerical difference, they cannot make progress in understanding these areas of mathematical knowledge.”

Mathematical vocabulary, DfE 2000

Pupils are encouraged to use mathematical language and full sentences throughout their maths learning. This ensures a deep understanding of concepts, and supports their ability to reason and explain their workings.