The Intent, Implementation and Impact of Our Maths Curriculum at Burleigh

Intent

At Burleigh our primary intent is to have an engaging and inspiring curriculum with high academic ambition for all pupils. Our mathematics curriculum is progressive and builds on previously acquired knowledge and skills, from Early Years through to Upper Key Stage 2. We strive to ensure that children are taught to become competent mathematicians by embedding skills and processes, including problems within real life contexts. Challenge is embedded through tasks that develop fluency, problem-solving and reasoning skills, and are adapted to children’s needs to ensure our maths curriculum is aspirational to all children.

The maths planning in Early Years is tailored to adhere to the EYFS framework and is facilitated by the Herts ESSENTIAL maths scheme. In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and Herts ESSENTIAL maths planning. The maths sequences taught supports the delivery of a curriculum which shows progression throughout all year groups by building on previous skills and knowledge.

Herts ESSENTIAL maths follows a consistent approach to teaching and learning through the use of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations. This involves students exploring concrete resources, such as diennes and counters, to develop their understanding of concepts, before progressing to create pictorial depictions, and then finally abstract methods involving numbers and symbols.

Implementation

At Burleigh, we recognise that in order for pupils to progress to deeper and more complex problems, children need to be confident and fluent across each yearly programme of study. Teachers use a range of tools to support children in knowing more and remembering more in maths. These include working walls, vocabulary displays and steps to success. ‘Destination questions’ are explored at the beginning of topics, this allows teachers to check that the children are secure in their understanding, before moving on to the next step. Our lessons are designed to cover key concepts, through small learning steps with a mastery approach.

What would a maths lesson at Burleigh look like?

• Carefully modelled teaching - with concrete resources and pictorial representations - in order to develop deep understanding in mathematics.  
• Children actively participate through purposeful questioning, whole class discussions, talk partners and by using their own resources to demonstrate their thinking.
• Regular recording opportunities when appropriate encourage children to represent and internalise their learning. This could be through the use models, drawings or symbols.
• Using speaking frames frequently to support the development of the language of mathematics. They enable the children to articulate their thinking using accurate vocabulary.
• Teachers frequently use questioning to elicit feedback from all children to expose and address any misconceptions in learning. Misconceptions are then addressed through supported practice.

In addition to daily maths lessons, all students from Year 2 upwards have weekly times table lessons to support them in learning the multiplication facts up to 12 x 12 in preparation for the national test at the end of Year 4. We have arithmetic lesson starters throughout the week, that reactivates children’s prior learning, and then once a week have an arithmetic lesson.

Impact

Throughout each lesson formative assessment takes place and feedback is given to the children verbally and through marking, to ensure they are meeting the specific learning objective. Teachers then use this assessment to influence their planning to ensure progression.

Across Key Stage 1 and 2, we use a combination of NTS Rising Stars assessments and previous SATs papers. Results from both the formative assessment and summative assessment are then used to determine children’s progress and attainment, which thus informs future planning and teaching.

In Early Years, we take ‘Reception baseline assessment’ at the beginning of year, alongside a teacher assessment of the children. Throughout the year, observations are continually carried out during Child Initiated Learning time, or directed tasks, in order to assess children’s learning and understanding against the Early Learning goals.

The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage.