Reception
The principle focus for Mathematics in early years foundation stage involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measure . At Waddesdon Village Primary School we use the NCETM Mastering Number programme in order to ensure pupils have a good understanding of number by the time they leave reception. Numerical patterns, which also included shapes, spaces, and measure, is taught through the White Rose mastery curriculum. Our Early Years Maths curriculum progresses pupils in small steps through the concepts of mathematics to ensure secure fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills.
Learning opportunities may occur through whole class teaching, teacher and teaching assistant group work or continuous provision. Teachers use a range of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations in order to support pupils conceptual understanding as well as procedual understanding. All learning must consider the individual needs, interests, and stage of development of each child and follow the four guiding principles which should shape early years settings:
Years 1 and 2
In key stage 1, pupils will continue to be taught through a mastery approach to mathematics using the 'NCETM Mastery Curriculum' which progresses pupils in small steps through the concepts of mathematics to ensure secure fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills. 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 4 operations.
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 have mastered their key number facts, their 2, 5 and 10 times tables and be precise in using and understanding place value.
Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary, at a level consistent with their increasing word reading and spelling knowledge at key stage 1.
Where indicated the 'White Rose' scheme is used to teach stand alone units such as: measure and statistics. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 continue to have daily short 'Mastering Number' sessions which ensures that pupils have a good understanding of number and additive relationships by the time they leave KS1.
Teachers use a range of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations in order to support pupils conceptual understanding as well as procedual understanding.
Years 3 and 4
Throughout lower key stage 2, pupils will continue to be taught through a mastery approach to mathematics
using the 'NCETM Mastery Curriculum' which progresses pupils in small steps through the concepts of mathematics to ensure secure fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills.
The principal focus of mathematics teaching in lower key stage 2 is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the 4 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.
Pupils should read and spell mathematical vocabulary correctly and confidently, using their growing word-reading knowledge and their knowledge of spelling.
Where indicated the 'White Rose' scheme is used to teach stand alone units such as: measure and statistics. Pupils in Year 4 have daily short 'Mastering Number' sessions which ensures that pupils have a good understanding of multiplicative relationships.
Teachers use a range of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations in order to support pupils conceptual understanding as well as procedual understanding.
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. All year 4 pupils will be take part in a national multiplication check test in June.
Years 5 and 6
Throughout upper key stage 2, pupils will continue to be taught through a mastery approach to mathematics using the 'NCETM Mastery Curriculum' which progresses pupils in small steps through the concepts of mathematics to ensure secure fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills.
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. Their knowledge of number is consolidated and extended in geometry and measures and pupils also learn the vocabulary needed to describe and classify shapes with increasingly complex properties.
Where indicated the 'White Rose' scheme is used to teach stand alone units such as: measure and statistics. Pupils in Year 5 have daily short 'Mastering Number' sessions which ensures that pupils have a good understanding of multiplicative relationships.
Teachers continue to use a range of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations in order to support pupils conceptual understanding as well as procedual understanding.
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.
For more information please contact the subject leader, Mrs Leslie, alternatively please look at your child's class page.
Times Table Rock Stars and Numbots
Times Table Rock Stars (TTRS) Year 2 -6
TTRS is an on-line platform that helps pupils learn and use their times tables efficiently. Pupils are expected to practice their times tables at least 3 times a week in Years 2 - 4 (Year 2 start this in Spring Term). This is an optional home learning activity in Years 5 and 6, however teachers may ask pupils to continue to practice their times tables if they are not yet secure.
Pupils can also continue to practice in other rooms for fun and win coins for correct answers which they can then use to purchase new clothes and instruments for their avatar or challenge their friends in their class.
In school, pupils will continue to be taught and practice their times tables. Each week, pupils will be tested on their times tables and move progressively through the levels from 1-26.
Please find the TTRS test levels below:
TTRS Level | Times Table | TTRS Level | Times Table |
Level 1 | 2 times tables | Level 14 | 7 times tables |
Level 2 | 2 times tables and inverse facts | Level 15 | 7 times tables and inverse facts |
Level 3 | 10 times tables | Level 16 | 6 and 7 times tables and inverse facts |
Level 4 | 10 times tables and inverse facts | Level 17 | 8 times tables |
Level 5 | 5 times table | Level 18 | 8 times tables and inverse facts |
Level 6 | 5 times tables and inverse facts | Level 19 | 9 times tables |
Level 7 | 3 times tables | Level 20 | 9 times tables and inverse facts |
Level 8 | 3 times tables and inverse facts | Level 21 | 8 and 9 times tables and inverse facts |
Level 9 | 4 times tables | Level 22 | 11 times tables |
Level 10 | 4 times tables and inverse facts | Level 23 | 11 times tables and inverse facts |
Level 11 | 3, 4 and 5 times tables and inverse facts | Level 24 | 12 times tables |
Level 12 | 6 times tables | Level 25 | 12 times tables and inverse facts |
Level 13 | 6 times tables and inverse facts | Level 26 | All times tables and inverse facts |
Once pupils have completed the levels above teachers may set other times table challenges to ensure that pupils continue to memorise and recall facts rapidly.
Numbots Year 1-6
Numbots is an on-line platform aimed at KS1 which encourages pupils to practice their number bonds and key number facts. Pupils design their own robot avatar and progressively move through the levels. As this is a progressive resource, it starts off with number bonds to 10 but rapidly gets harder as you move through the levels where pupils need to apply their knowledge of number facts to larger numbers. This is also a handy resource for pupils in KS2 who are still not secure with recalling and applying key number facts