Wilberlee Junior and Infant School

At the Heights Federation we love to learn about Maths. We follow a mastery approach to teaching maths- we are currently working with the Yorkshire and Humber Maths Hub to become a specialist maths school in our own right. The mastery approach follows the CPA approach- 

Concrete- This is the doing stage - Children are encouraged to use a range of practical equipment to investigate mathematical concepts such as cubes, dienes and place value counters.  Concrete manipulatives are used throughout school to make comparisons, solve problems and deepen understanding.

Pictorial- In this pupils are encouraged to draw their understanding. Pupils can draw bar models, PV grids, part-whole models. circles, squares; however they decide to represent the problem they are working on- as it is about the pupils being able to share their reasoning and workings out in their way.

Abstract- The abstract concept is the way we all know, numbers. These are an obscure concept to some that does not know that the number 5 means 5 objects. This is why this is often the last area to be covered in our teaching because pupils need to understand the oneness of one, which is learnt through discussion and play with objects.

We also split our teaching into 3 strands to match the primary curriculum:

Fluency- This is the basic understanding of a mathematical concept and being able to do this at speed- adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, times tables, number bonds- the underpining concepts of maths.

Reasoning- This is being able to explain your understanding of maths, for example: Mr Coates says that every number that is a multiple of 5 ends in a 5. Is he correct, yes or no? Explain your answer. In this question we would expect the pupils to say Mr Coates is not correct because a multiple of 5 can also end in a 0. This is the application of the fluency understanding.

Problem Solving- This is being able to break down a written problem and use the fluency methods and reasoning understanding to find a solution- this can start very young, through number stories all the way up to multi step code breaking problems. 

Our main aim of the curriculum is to make sure that our pupils love maths; have the skills to succeed beyond our provision and are able to face any mathematical problem and give it a go using the toolkit we have taught them.

WHAT DOES MY CHILD LEARN AND WHEN?

Our Maths curriculum at the Federation is very closely linked to a popular scheme produced by the White Rose Maths Hub. The overview of the curriculum allows our teachers to ensure curriculum coverage whilst also revisting key concepts regualrly.