Intent

The purpose of mathematics at Austwick CE (VA) Primary School is to equip all children (this includes SEND, EAL, PP and vulnerable children) with the knowledge, skills and understanding to become confident mathematical problem solvers. 

“The curriculum should identify and sequence, in small steps, declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge, and plan for pupils to learn this in small steps. This will make sure pupils’ so that pupils’ knowledge builds steadily over time. Linked facts and methods should be sequenced to take advantage of the ways that knowing facts helps pupils to learn methods, and knowing methods helps them to learn facts. Declarative and procedural knowledge can be combined and taught as strategies for problem-solving. A well-sequenced curriculum, and systematic teaching and opportunities for practice help pupils to become proficient in mathematics. This leads to success and motivation in the subject.” 

(Ofsted, 2021) 

Implementation

All children (this includes SEND, EAL, PP and vulnerable children) are taught to think and reason mathematically, applying skills fluently and efficiently, arriving at the accurate answer in all areas of mathematics. A dialogic approach is fundamental to all areas of learning at Austwick CE (VA) Primary School and underpins all teaching and learning. All children discuss their learning and talk through possible solutions to given problems, applying the most efficient method. All children will be given the opportunity to deliberately practice a mathematical concept, before becoming fluent and then applying this knowledge to reason and problem solve mathematically. The class teacher always teaches the lowest 20% to ensure all children meet their endpoints and they keep up with the expected standard. Mathematics education at Austwick CE (VA) Primary School provides children with an understanding of the world around them and a curiosity and enjoyment of the subject. At Austwick CE (VA) Primary School, we are passionate about ensuring that all children receive a sequenced, knowledge rich mathematical education. This in turn ensures that all children are able to reason mathematically and solve mathematical problems. All classes have a daily diet of mathematics at the start of each lesson, which includes mental strategies to enhance fluency. 

At Austwick CE (VA) Primary School, we believe that all children’s education begins in Early Years. 

‘Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age 

five have a major impact on their future life chances.' (EYFS Statutory Framework, 2021) 

Our curriculum is aligned to the Early Years Framework and shows the sequential steps of essential knowledge acquired from Reception to Year 6. We take guidance from White Rose Maths and adapt this to meet the needs of the children at Austwick CE (VA) Primary School. It is crucial that children in the Early Years and key stage one become fluent with mathematical facts and there is a focus on this for children in the early mathematical education. As the children move through into lower key stage two, it is important that they become fluent in 

multiplication tables and they have daily practice to ensure this. We have a determined approach that drives us to ensure that all children meet the expected standard in mathematics and have the knowledge required for secondary school. Our mathematics curriculum allows children to develop their cultural capital. Purposeful and natural links to Fundamental British Values and SMSC are an integral part of our curriculum and are threaded through the mathematics curriculum. 

Why this? Why now? 

Each unit of mathematics is taught discretely and in Year 1 to Year 6 all classes teach the sequence of the White Rose Maths scheme, ensuring full coverage of all areas of mathematics: 

• Number and place value 

• Calculation 

• Addition and subtraction 

• Multiplication and division 

• Fractions 

• Measures 

• Geometry 

• Position and direction 

• Statistics 

• Ratio and proportion (Year 6 only) 

• Algebra (Year 6 only) 

We believe that it is important to teach number and place value first in all classes, as a secure knowledge of number and place value underpins all areas of mathematics. 

Throughout all units of knowledge in mathematics, each child has a personalised balance of practice to enable fluency, reasoning and problem solving with each mathematical concept. The balance of this will differ for each child, depending on their needs. When teaching reasoning and problem solving, it is important for teachers to distinguish between questions that rely on the method and where the method is being deliberately practised and questions where which method to use is unknown to the child. Children are taught to be able to identify which strategies they will need to tackle different types of problems, including the associated vocabulary. Not all lessons contain new content, there will be time for deliberate practice and fluency of previously acquired knowledge. 

Knowledge in mathematics (including working mathematically) 

The mathematics curriculum is one in which substantive knowledge and skills merge in a way that does not happen in any other subject area. The taught knowledge in mathematics is substantive rather than disciplinary and children will be taught to make links across different mathematical components to build this substantive knowledge in their long-term memory. Children are taught what they need to know, the declarative knowledge, and how to use what they know, the procedural knowledge. Learning journeys in mathematics specifically reference connected knowledge from other areas of the mathematics curriculum, providing children the opportunities to interleave their mathematical knowledge and make purposeful and meaningful links. 

SMSC in Mathematics 

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural attributes are developed in our pupils throughout the mathematics curriculum: 

Throughout mathematics, children develop socially through reasoning and problem solving questions where they have to work together to discuss the most efficient methods to answer questions and to explore alternative methods together. Through this dialogic approach, children develop socially and they begin to feel a sense of achievement due to the effort they have put in, this in turn builds their confidence and self-belief in their mathematical ability. 

Spiritual education in mathematics provides opportunities to make sense of the world around them. They develop deep thinking and an ability to question the way the world around them works. Children are encouraged to see patterns, sequences and scales in the world around them and they use mathematics as a way to explore the world fully. 

Moral education is a thread that runs throughout mathematics. All learners are provided 

with opportunities to apply their mathematics knowledge in ‘real life’ contexts to reason and solve problems. The logical aspects of this type of problem solving strongly links to right and wrong decisions in mathematics. 

Cultural education in mathematics centres around the rich history and cultural context in which mathematics was first discovered or used. The ancient civilisations relied heavily on the use of mathematics. 

Enhancements in Mathematics 

At Austwick CE (VA) Primary School we have a carefully planned programme of enhancements to ensure that all year groups are exposed to a wide range of opportunities that enhance children’s knowledge and cultural capital in all subjects. As a school, all teaching staff make a conscious effort to break down the gender stereotypes in the STEM subjects and ensure there is a conscious effort to promote gender equality in careers using mathematics. All children have opportunities to flourish in Mathematics through respect, love and perseverance. Respect for the Mathematical concepts and for each other’s methods and thoughts, promoting a love for the subject through enthusiastic teaching and learning and promoting perseverance where children are encouraged to try again with help from their teacher, their peers or through the use of mathematical resources.  

Reviewed: January 2025 

Next Review Date: September 2025