Maths at Downs Infants
Mathematics is the study of structure, space and change and has provided the solution to some of history's most intriguing problems.
We want all of our children to develop a positive attitude to mathematics and see themselves as ‘mathematicians.’ The National Curriculum [2014] recognises that mathematics ‘[It] is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment’.
We aim to provide our children with a secure foundation for their mathematical understanding and a lifelong love of the subject. Following a maths mastery approach we want children from Early Years to Year 2 and beyond to master maths and number sense and we believe that all children can succeed.
We want to ensure that all children:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics
- are able to reason mathematically
- can solve problems by applying their mathematics
Mathematics - Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage EYFS 2021
In Reception the children develop their understanding of the number system and learn that we can represent numbers in different ways. Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that children can develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. There is, of course, lots of counting
We use the Mastering Number programme from NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics) to teach maths. Much of the children’s mathematical experience is through planned activities in the learning environment. Practitioners support and extend concepts as the children count, sort, classify and spot patterns to solve problems. The children are also given plenty of opportunities to explore mathematical concepts during COOL time. This is a time when children can develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measure.
Purpose of Study - National Curriculum 2014
In Key Stage 1 the children continue to develop their ‘number sense,’ particularly through an understanding of place-value, equivalence and the relationships between operations, such as addition and subtraction. Again, we use a range of representations and equipment to support children in constructing their understanding. As children meet new concepts they explore them using practical apparatus before moving to the abstract signs and symbols. We aim to provide the children with ‘rich’ tasks not only to consolidate understanding of the number system but to develop reasoning and problem-solving skills. The children are encouraged to talk about their learning as they begin to decipher the ‘language’ of mathematics. We use the NCETM materials for our main maths teaching and the Mastering Number programme for our Maths Fluency lessons.
Maths Fluency lessons are quick fire lessons delivered four times a week in KS1 aimed at promoting automaticity of number facts and reasoning skills.
The overarching aims of the National Curriculum are for all children to develop fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics [‘number sense’], to be able to reason mathematically and be able to solve problems. But above all, we want the children to develop confidence in mathematics and enthusiasm for the subject!
Mathematics Guide