Maths Curriculum Statement
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ASPIRE - LEARN - FLOURISH
The Aspire Learning Federation is made up of two schools - Elm Park Primary School and R J Mitchell Primary School in the London Borough of Havering.
At R J Mitchell Primary School, we have carefully designed our Maths curriculum to ensure it meets the requirements of the National Curriculum while also being responsive to the unique needs and context of our diverse school community. Our approach is underpinned by the White Rose Maths scheme, which places a strong emphasis on developing a deep and secure understanding of number concepts - a foundational aspect of mathematical learning.
We believe that a robust grasp of numbers is essential for pupils to access the wider Maths curriculum successfully. Our curriculum allocates significant time and focus to reinforcing number skills, allowing children to build fluency and confidence before applying their knowledge to more complex mathematical ideas.
At the heart of our curriculum is a focus on developing strong mathematical skills and a deep understanding of key concepts. The White Rose Maths scheme, which emphasises teaching for mastery through a focus on number, as well as depth before breadth, working together, fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving. Our approach to mathematics is grounded in research-based best practices, incorporating the concrete-pictorial-abstract (CPA) approach. This ensures that children have a solid foundation in mathematical concepts, building from hands-on, visual representations to more abstract reasoning.
Our school context, with a high proportion of pupils with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, further reinforces the importance of this approach. Many of our pupils enter school with gaps in their early number knowledge and skills. By prioritising number sense and mastery, we can ensure that all children, regardless of their starting points, have a secure foundation upon which to build their mathematical understanding. This, in turn, enables them to access the rest of the Maths curriculum with greater confidence and success.
As a school, we use pre-assessment to adapt our planning and ensure that children encounter new content only when they have the necessary linked facts and methods. This allows us to provide tailored support and challenge, with further challenges involving the application of skills and strategies that children already know, rather than entirely new content.
Being a mathematician is a core part of our school's identity. We encourage children to develop a growth mindset, embracing challenges and seeing mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve. Fluency in times tables is a key focus, with children accessing Times Table Rockstars throughout the week to support their development.
Ongoing assessment is integral to our approach, allowing us to track children's progress and adapt our teaching accordingly. In addition to regular formative assessments, children in Year 4 will participate in the Multiplication Tables Check, which provides valuable feedback on their fluency with times tables.
To celebrate our children's mathematical achievements, we hold an annual Maths Day, where pupils engage in a range of engaging, hands-on activities that bring the subject to life. Through these events, we aim to foster a love of mathematics and inspire our community to see the beauty and relevance of this vital discipline.
Notes:
The white rose maths schemes of learning - Yearly Overview
- Teaching mastery
- Concrete, pictorial, abstract
Structure of the lesson:
Flashback 4 - revisit learning - retrieval practise - spaced learning
Starter
Main teaching - CPA
Activities
True or False
Number first:
Number at the heart of everything, significant time to reinforce number and allow children to be able to access the rest of the mathematical curriculum
Depth before breath - not moving onto the next year group/required key stage
Fluency, reasoning and problem solving
Concrete, pictorial & Abstract - on the slide builds around this, physical resources, depth of questioning
Intent - what we want them to learning/be mathematicians
Implementation - what do we use and how is it structure throughout the week/term
Impact - how do you measure the impact - when/how often? What do we do when we have this data? Interventions, adaptive teaching, guided groups, revisit lessons
Assessment information for MTC and maths across the curriculum
TTRS & LbQ
Events:
Maths Day 21st March (23rd official day)
Interactive and engaging maths day
Mathematicians