Our ethos is that all children can be successful in the study of mathematics. We teach the skills to ensure the children are resilient learners who become life-long mathematicians and aim to deliver an inspiring and engaging Mathematics curriculum.

Intent

The intention of the Maths curriculum at Cedar Park School is for children to be excited about Maths and to be empowered to understand and succeed in Maths.  Developing a positive attitude is essential.  ​

Teachers promote children’s enjoyment of Maths and provide opportunities for children to build a conceptual understanding of Maths before applying their knowledge to everyday problems and challenges. ​

We take a Mastery approach to the teaching and learning of Mathematics.  Our ethos is that all children can be successful in the study of mathematics. We teach the skills to ensure the children are resilient learners who become life-long mathematicians and aim to deliver an inspiring and engaging Mathematics curriculum. ​

A mastery curriculum promotes a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of each concept, so that children become fluent in calculations, possess a growing confidence to reason mathematically and hone their problem-solving skills. To develop mastery in maths children are enabled to acquire a solid understanding of maths concepts, structures and procedures, step by step. Complex mathematical concepts are built on simpler conceptual components so that maths becomes transparent and makes logical sense.​

We ensure that challenge is provided for all children, whatever their understanding.  Children are encouraged to be brave and push the boundaries, deepening their understanding further. Children should not be afraid to make mistakes and should fully embrace the fact that mistakes are part of learning.​

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Implementation

We use Power Maths to enable children to be numerate, creative, independent, inquisitive and confident.​ At the heart of Power Maths is a clearly structured teaching and learning process that helps ensure that every child masters each maths concept securely and deeply. 

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For each year group, the curriculum is broken down into core concepts, taught in units. ​A unit divides into smaller learning steps – lessons.  Step by step a strong foundation of cumulative knowledge and understanding are built.​

Interactive lessons establish deep understanding in small steps, as well as effortless fluency in key facts such as tables and number bonds. ​The whole class works on the same content and no child is left behind. ​

Power Maths builds every concept in small, progressive steps and it is built with interactive, whole-class teaching in mind.​ ​This approach uses the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) approach to Maths. Children are encouraged to use physical resources to aid their understanding. Modelling of drawing the problem in a pictorial way is given before a child then uses words and calculations to represent it.​

At Cedar Park we use a Maths Mastery approach. Maths mastery is a teaching and learning approach that aims for pupils to develop deep understanding of maths rather than being able to memorise key procedures or resort to rote learning.​

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The end goal and expectation is for all pupils to have acquired the fundamental facts and concepts of maths for their year or key stage such that by the end of it they have achieved mastery in the maths they have been taught. At this point they are ready to move confidently on to their next stage of maths.​

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Mastery of a mathematical concept means a child can use their knowledge of the concept to solve unfamiliar word problems, and undertake complex reasoning, using the appropriate mathematical vocabulary.​ Previous skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon in every lesson.  Each lesson can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to challenge are also built into lessons. Power Up  introductions to lessons also revisit previous learning.​

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We have also built regular fluency sessions into our curriculum time so that key skills and knowledge can be practised.​

Impact

Children are assessed daily against the learning objective for that lesson.​ Specific assessment tasks may be given and at the end of each unit, children complete an End of Unit Assessment.​

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Teachers are expected to make regular assessment of each child’s progress against the learning objectives and to record these systematically. This teacher assessment data is recorded in Target Tracker and the child’s ‘steps’ are given to the Head teacher.  ​

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Data is analysed by the Head teacher, Assessment Coordinator, Mathematics coordinator and class teacher. This enables tracking of the progress of each child through each year group and through each Key Stage. ​Maths is also assessed in Years 1-6 using termly NFER tests (except SATS year group/terms).​

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At the end of Year 4 children take part in the Multiplication Tables Check and the result is reported to parents.​

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At the end of Year 2 and Year 6 the Standard Assessment Tasks and Tests at are used. Question Level Analysis of Year 2 and Year 6 SATS papers takes place yearly to highlight any areas of strength or areas for development within the teaching.​

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What Does Mathematics look like at Cedar Park Look Like?

Power Maths lessons are taught in units with skills and knowledge progression built into the scheme. Each unit begins with a starter which introduces the learning context along with key mathematical vocabulary, structures and representations. ​

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Each lesson has a Power Up introduction which may be done apart from the lesson and supports fluency. Power Ups are important for reinforcing key skills such as times tables, number bonds and place value. A Discovery section introduces a concept using a practical real-life scenario to engage the children. This may involve children working together with concrete resources to solve a problem. A teacher-led shared, interactive section follows the Discover activity and highlights the variety of methods that can be used to solve a single problem. Children and the teacher discuss their methods, solutions and strategies. In the Think Together section children will work through questions. More adult input is given at the beginning (I do), less for the second question (we do) and then the children try to solve further questions independently (you do).

Practice books lead through a selection of questions onto a challenge question and a reflect question. Practice questions are designed to address misconceptions. Reflect questions identify how deeply a child has understood the concept.​

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At the end of each unit, children complete an End of Unit Assessment.​

Throughout the whole curriculum opportunities exist to extend and promote mathematics. We teach mathematics as a discrete subject but we also incorporate mathematics into a wide range of cross-curricular subjects and seek to take advantage of multi-cultural aspects of mathematics. IT is also used where it enhances, extends and complements Mathematics teaching and learning. Social, Moral, Spiritual or Cultural aspects are noted.  

Mathematics at Cedar Park for children with SEND?

Teachers set high expectations for all pupils. They will use appropriate assessment to set ambitious targets and plan challenging work for all groups, including: 

• More able pupils 

• Pupils with low prior attainment 
• Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds 
• Pupils with SEND 
• Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) 

Lessons will be adapted so that pupils with SEN and/or disabilities can study Mathematics wherever possible, and ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving. 

Teachers will also take account of the needs of pupils whose first language is not English. Lessons will be planned so that teaching opportunities help pupils to develop their English, and to support pupils to take part in mathematics. Specific mathematical vocabulary will be taught, explained and displayed. In the mathematics lesson we support children with English as an additional language in a variety of ways for example: repeating instructions, speaking clearly, emphasising key words, using picture cues, playing mathematical games, encouraging children to join in counting, chanting, finger games, rhymes etc 

Teachers at Cedar Park are aware of any issues relating to gender and mathematics learning and ensure that boys and girls are given equal opportunities within activities and to learning experiences.  We aim to teach mathematics in such a way that it will appeal equally to boys and girls. 

Staff have high expectations of all children, irrespective of ability and encourage them to be successful and achieve their full potential. The idea is that children will ‘Keep Up not Catch Up’. Lessons are taught to a whole class using mixed ability groupings.  

Open ended questioning and activities can allow more able children to offer more sophisticated mathematical responses (differentiation by outcome) Extension challenges are given to children.

Differentiation through recording can be used when necessary such as allowing some children to give verbal responses and photographing their learning 

Differentiation through adult support where different children receive additional or varying amounts of help with the task may be used. 

Power Maths provides a selection of ‘Strengthening Activities’ to be used to support children’s learning where additional consolidation is needed and also provides a set of ‘Deepening Activities’ to provide for those children who are ready for a higher level of challenge. 

Useful Documents & Links