Mathematics

To find out more about maths in EYFS, click here (this will take you to the EYFS section of the website).

We use White Rose Maths as a basis of our maths lesson from Year 1 to Year 6. This is an exciting class mastery approach, which has been recommended by the DfE, that works for every child.  It is based upon the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach. 

Every lesson is divided into sections that involve plenty of discovery, sharing, collaboration, practice and reflection. Children are encouraged to solve problems each day through the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract thinking.  

At the heart of this programme is the idea that all children can achieve and be successful mathematicians.  

There are colour workbooks for each topic, along with online teaching tools for the teacher. 

Alongside White Rose Maths lessons, we have a fluency review. This is usually done weekly and covers the key areas of maths that have been taught.

Where gaps are identified, a personalised learning programme is used to address this. This may be done in school and often it is given as homework so that parents and carers can support where it is most needed.

We put a strong emphasis on problem solving and reasoning from Reception through to year 6. We use a range of manipulatives (actual objects that children can see, move, reorder etc.) all the way through the school.  This provides children with opportunities to collaborate, reason, explore and also provides a clear structure for children, teachers and families. 

Throughout the year, we also build in opportunities for mathematical investigation, active maths and applying maths across the curriculum. 

Click on the blog link below to see our maths curriculum in action!

We have created video guides for all calculations that are taught at St Margaret's Lee! IF you are helping at home, please click on the relevant button below and this will take you to the video guide you require. If you like to have a words and picture guide, click on the calculation policy button. 

We are using the online tool Numbots.

NumBots is all about every child achieving the “triple win” of understanding, recall and fluency in mental addition and subtraction, so that they move from counting to calculating.

Every child from Year 1 to 6 has a login and can work through each challenge at their personalised level. This resource is primarily used in Y1-3. Children can also login at home.

Guidance on timed addition facts tests

Each week, children in KS1 take part in a timed test of their addition facts. The children work at a level appropriate for them, and each level builds on the one before. As a guide, children will progress to the next level when their test answers are consistently error free and completed within 2 minutes.

We are using the online tool Times Table Rockstars. It's awesome!

In either paper form or online, Times Tables Rock Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice. The online format is particularly effective as the algorithm within the programme responds to errors and sets the challenge level accordingly. This makes the process of learning times tables very personalised. It's also really motivating for children.

Every child from Year 2 to 6 has a login and they generally do a little bit of daily practise at their personalised level. Children can also login at home.

1. Be patient, positive and reward progress. Virtually all our children get there, just at different rates.
2. Use tech! We strongly recommend Numbots and Times Table Rockstars as we have a subscription to them and we use them in school. Squeebles Times Tables, Squeebles Flip Multiplication (developed in collaboration with St Margaret's Lee) and Squeebles Maths Race are also really good. If you can work alongside your child with these activities, it's really valuable. However, they can also be used for independent practise. 
3. Use songs - there are a growing and ever-updating number available online - please take care when searching and don't allow your child to search without supervision.  

If your child is whizzing through the times table tests and addition tests, and can do calculations quickly without pen and paper, s/he is demonstrating good mathematical fluency. Doing more and more of the same (with bigger numbers) will improve this fluency but will not give a deeper understanding and mastery of maths.

In the same way, a child with good handwriting will develop their fluency if they practise handwriting. It will not make him a better writer of fiction, poetry or reports.

Our advice is to find games, puzzles and activities that deepen mathematical understanding and challenge your child to use trial and improvement, work systematically, pattern spot, visualise and apply logical reasoning. 

Nrich is a great, free and regularly updated resource that is based on sound research and developed by the University of Cambridge. We recommend you have a look at this site as a good starting point for challenging your child at home.

Click here to explore the nrich website.