Maths

Bradley Barton Maths Vision

At Bradley Barton, we believe that maths is an important life skill. Maths is planned using the National Curriculum, Rising Stars Maths Programme and the Early Years Curriculum, together with our policies for teaching and learning, assessment and SEND.

Our maths curriculum is based on a mastery approach in which we believe all children can achieve and master the curriculum. We use maths ideas and approaches taken from the successful Singapore curriculum, including their visual ‘bar method’ and teaching for mastery.

National Curriculum 2014 states we should:

‘[E]nsure all pupils become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. ‘

We aim to:

• Provide children with opportunities to become confident problem solvers.
• Enable children to select and use the most efficient methods to solve problems.
• Give children experiences in which they have opportunity to make links and explain their reasoning.
• Provide challenge in maths and develop confident individuals who want to challenge themselves.
• Use maths in a variety of contexts to allow children to apply mathematical knowledge to everyday life.
• Ensure children develop a sense of enjoyment and creativity in maths.
• Make every maths lesson fun and engaging to foster a love of maths.

What is mastery in maths?

The teachers at Bradley Barton have developed their own definition of mastery in maths:

‘We believe that mastery is a deep connection of skills and conceptual understanding paired with the confidence and resilience to tackle problems systematically and accurately, while justifying reasoning. It is the ability to see creative opportunities to use mathematical skills to illustrate, design and explain situations.

Teaching maths for mastery involves using approaches that help all children develop a deep and secure knowledge and understanding of maths at each stage of their learning.’

What does mastery in maths look like at Bradley Barton?

• Real life problem solving, investigation and cross-curricular application.
• Taking risks and learning from mistakes.
• Active and engaging learning.
• Opportunities to prove and explain ideas.
• Personalised learning and activities that provide challenge.
• Children showing resilience and challenging themselves in their learning.
• Deep levels of questioning and reasoning.
• Making links with other learning.
• Developing skills which can be transferred and applied in different contexts.
• Children teaching each other!

Maths is led across the school by Nicola Walters and Matt Easterbrook.  If you have any questions about Maths at Bradley Barton please speak to one of the team!

How to help at home

Our calculation policy and supporting documents below show the strategies and methods used in each year group from year 1 to 6.

Suggested websites;

Nrich

A brilliant website for using and applying skills. 

Stage 1 is suitable for Key Stage 1 (levels 1 and 2)

Stage 1 and 2 are suitable for Key Stage 2.  Check the levels carefully before using!

ICT Games

A very useful website for practising maths key skills

Mathletics

Mathletics is a place where children can focus on certain topics to consolidate their learning from their in-class work as well as work on their mental maths skills and times tables knowledge. All children have a personal log-in and can access activities suited to their age and understanding; they all work towards certificates and the more they do, the more chance they have of earning a certificate in assembly. 

Coxhoe Primary School

Another comprehensive website that is well worth a vist.

Maths challenges!

Have a go at the challenges below!

Two digit targets:  You have a set of digits from 0-9