Maths
Our Intent
Our aim is to nurture an enduring love of Maths in our children. We do this by striving to develop their confidence, knowledge, skills and understanding. We want our children to believe they "can do" Maths and feel excited and engaged by the challenges it has to offer. Maths is the foundation for understanding the world and the gateway for accessing our wider curriculum; its importance and relevance in today's world is everywhere. We aspire that our children will become mathematicians for life!
At St Joseph’s, we aim to offer the best provision and teaching of Maths possible for all the children in our school. We are aware that Maths is a core skill in everyday life so we strive to provide the children with a solid understanding that will benefit them both at secondary school and beyond. St. Joseph’s teaches the National Curriculum through the White Rose Maths scheme of learning. Topics are taught in blocks, with understanding being revisited throughout the year. On occasions, to meet the needs of the children in their classes, teachers may use their professional discretion and target other areas of Maths.
Calculation Policy
These are the Calculation Policies for St. Joseph's. They are based on the White Rose Progression of Teaching.
Key Maths Facts
Practical Maths
Practical Maths lessons play a crucial role in our children's learning, in particular in Reception and KS1. When new concepts are introduced, the children will use concrete objects to help them to understand what they are doing. They use these alongside pictorial representations. This helps to prepare and support their understanding of abstract methods that follow.
Reasoning and Problem Solving
To help develop our Year 5's reasoning and problem solving skills, and to have fun with Maths, we had an amazing day out at Mathscity. There were thirty practical puzzles which we were able to handle, move around and try to solve. We worked together to create unusual patterns, mind bending shapes and all sorts of problems. The grand finale was when we worked together to create a Leonardo Dome: a huge, curved dome just from short, straight pieces of wood. It was so big that twenty of us could fit underneath it!
Supporting Your Child at Home
At St Joseph's, the Maths curriculum is taught mainly using the White Rose Maths scheme. They provide excellent resources which support the learning that is taking place in class.
The attached document is a step-by-step guide to accessing these resources.