Maths Intent

It is our primary intention at Martley CE Primary School and Pre-School to enable children to acquire and apply mastery skills in mathematics. Through our curriculum, pupils develop not only mathematical understanding but also the values reflected in our 5 C’s: Courage, Co-operation, Commitment, Creativity and Compassion. Children are given opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge across other curriculum areas and to see mathematics as a meaningful tool for understanding the world around them.

The intention is that the majority of pupils in each class will move through the programmes of study, and thereby each lesson as a singular learning journey, at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress will always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to move to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly will be challenged through rich mastery tasks and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content. This encourages creativity in thinking and the application of mathematical ideas in unfamiliar contexts. Those who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material will consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice or designed intervention, before moving on, demonstrating commitment to securing strong foundations in learning.

Throughout the curriculum, pupils are encouraged to show courage in their learning by attempting challenging problems, sharing ideas and learning from mistakes. Pupils explore mathematics in depth, using mathematical vocabulary to reason, justify and explain their thinking. Opportunities for discussion and collaborative problem-solving promote co-operation, enabling children to learn from one another and respect different approaches to solving problems. In doing so, pupils also demonstrate compassion, supporting and encouraging their peers as part of a positive and inclusive learning environment.

Mastery

A wide range of mathematical resources are used and pupils are taught to show their workings in concrete, pictorial and abstract forms wherever suitable and useful. They are taught to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. We encourage resilience, adaptability and the understanding that struggle is often a necessary and valuable step in learning, reinforcing both courage and commitment in mathematical thinking. Through this approach, pupils are empowered to approach problems with curiosity and creativity, exploring different strategies and representations.

Our curriculum helps children make sense of the world around them by recognising patterns and relationships between mathematics and everyday life, whilst working collaboratively and respectfully with others.

It is our intent at Martley CE Primary School and Pre-School for the children we teach to:

• Make strong connections across mathematical ideas and apply their knowledge and understanding to other subjects, working collaboratively and demonstrating co-operation and compassion when sharing ideas.
• Have a fluent conceptual understanding of mathematics and to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately through consistent commitment to practice and learning.
• Enhance their mathematical reasoning by following a line of enquiry and developing an argument, justification or proof using clear and convincing mathematical language, showing courage in expressing and defending their thinking.
• Solve problems by applying their mathematical knowledge to a variety of situations with increasing sophistication, including breaking them down into a series of simpler steps, using creativity to explore different strategies and persevering in seeking solutions.