Menorah Foundation School

Menorah Foundation School

 

Maths

Maths Lead: Miss Woolf 

Vision

At Menorah Foundation School, we are committed to ensuring that learning is accessible to all and that pupils of all ages acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of maths. By having scaffold and challenge material available and weaved throughout lessons, we aim for all children to reach their potential - no matter their starting point - and for them to develop confident attitudes towards maths. Mistakes are considered a positive part of learning and by celebrating them, our desire is that we cultivate a growth mind-set in our pupils; everyone can do maths.

We want our pupils to think, write and speak like mathematicians; we explicitly teach key vocabulary to enable them to access mathematical content in lessons and expect them to use it when formulating written and oral responses. We aim to inspire our children to be excited about maths and for them to make connections with the real world and apply their learning in other areas of the curriculum, where possible.

Retaining the knowledge and skills being taught throughout each year is something we value greatly. Systems are in place to allow our children to revisit prior learning through spaced practice. This ensures that strong foundations are created for new material to be built upon so that children can progressively develop mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding. We follow the National Curriculum for maths and are on a maths mastery journey with support from the NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics).

How We Teach Maths at MFS

Daily Maths Lessons

Daily Maths lessons are composed of five main parts:

  • Prior Learning
  • Counting
  • Key Vocabulary
  • Chunked Learning
  • Challenge

Prior Learning

In order to prevent cognitive overload and to ensure that knowledge is retained in long term memory, learning is continuously revisited through prior learning (retrieval) sessions at the start of every maths lesson. These short sessions, which are bespoke to the cohort of pupils, include a range of questions on material that has been taught in the past.

 

Counting

Regular counting sessions take place in maths lessons across the week. This ensures fluency is prioritised and reinforced; children frequently have the opportunity to practise timestable recall as well as counting up/down in certain intervals e.g. 10s, 25s 100s, decimals, fractions etc.

 

Key Vocabulary

Key vocabulary is explicitly discussed and taught so that children can access the learning. These words are displayed on the maths working wall within classrooms and pupils are encouraged to use the correct terminology when formulating written or oral responses.

 

Chunked Learning

To avoid cognitive overload, learning with a lesson is delivered in segments. The teacher teaches a concept and then models the steps to success; children then have the opportunity to practise. After the children have independently practised, work is marked together before the next segment and new learning is introduced. Formative assessment takes place continuously and misunderstandings are addressed immediately; learning does not move on until the children are secure with what has just been taught.

 

Challenge

Challenge is available to all pupils and it can be accessed at any point in the lesson. Children participate in the main lesson and practise and answer the questions presented by the teacher to ensure they are secure in age related material. In addition to this, children can work on challenge material which is linked to the main class learning.

 

Resources

A range of maths mastery resources are used to plan maths sessions and activities, including: White Rose Maths, NCETM, Classroom Secrets, Maths Shed and Primary Stars.

The Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach is used in lessons. This system of learning uses physical and visual aids to build a child’s understanding of abstract topics. Pupils are introduced to a new mathematical concepts through the use of concrete resources (counters, Dienes blocks, beads) and when they are confident, they then solve problems using pictorial representations. They are then asked to solve problems where they only have the abstract i.e. the calculation. This approach helps pupils to secure their understanding of the mathematical concept they are learning.

Times Tables Rock Stars is used to reinforce fluency of timestables and children regularly access this from home.

Impact

As a result of our maths teaching at MFS, you will see children who:

  • Leave MFS as happy, confident learners who are equipped with the mathematical skills and knowledge they require for the next stage of their learning.
  • Are confident mathematicians who have a developed a growth mindset and 'can do' attitude towards maths.
  • Make sustained progress in maths which is demonstrated in the KS1 and KS2 end of key stage assessments.
  • Achieve a GLD (Good Level of Development) in EYFS in line with national standards, and be at or above the national standard in the KS2 national tests.