Maths at Newdigate Infant School
We believe that if we open our hearts and minds to the possibilities each and every one of us, no matter how small, can make a difference in our school and beyond. The parable of the Mustard seed teaches us that God can do a lot with a little! At Newdigate school we passionately believe that every child can reach their full potential as resilient life-long mathematicians.
We promote positive mindsets in all of our children. By providing a supportive and nurturing environment, all children are encouraged to develop a love for learning and explore mathematical concepts. Staff are also encouraged to reflect and develop their own mathematical skills to provide high quality, engaging and accessible opportunities for learning.
How will the children learn and grow in maths?
Early mathematical experiences and explorations begin in the Early Years and are developed throughout the school following the National Curriculum Guidelines. We follow the White Rose Scheme of Learning alongside other mastery resources (including Classroom Secrets, NRich and NCETM). Through this mastery approach we provide a high-quality, progressive Maths curriculum, equipping our children with the skills of calculation, reasoning and problem solving that they need in life beyond school. Rich learning environments are created and adapted to enable all children to access the full range of mathematical concepts. We intend to make maths learning memorable and enjoyable for all children, as well as to build upon prior learning by making mathematical links and following the WRM small steps.
How do we make this happen?
Children participate in concrete, practical activities to develop basic concepts of number, shape, space, measures (length, weight, capacity, time, money) and data handling. Learning is reinforced by the introduction of pictorial and visual representations where evidence of their learning is recorded. We provide a variety of mathematical opportunities to enable our children to make connections in learning, develop and use new vocabulary and discuss their learning with others. By using concrete, pictorial and visual representations we aim for our children to be confident mathematicians who are independent, inquisitive and not afraid to take risks.
Children are given the opportunity to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics by providing opportunities to develop their subject knowledge and “maths toolkit” through frequent practice; to develop their conceptual understanding and be given opportunities to apply this knowledge rapidly and accurately through both mental and written work. We use the NCETM ‘Mastering Number’ for EYFS and KS1 to develop number fluency and application.
Children are given opportunities to use and develop their mathematical reasoning skills, as well as problem-solving ‘every day’ problems. They are also developing the skills to justify and explain their answers using mathematical language.
Throughout their journey at Newdigate, we aim to teach children:
- a range of mental strategies
- an understanding of number in a variety of contexts
- to recognise shape and understand their properties
- to recognise and use money
- to understand measures
- to learn number facts by heart
- to investigate mathematics and solve problems
- a variety of recording strategies
- to explain their reasoning
- to make connections between mathematical ideas
- apply mathematical knowledge to different subjects
Primary Progression
White Rose Maths -
National Curriculum progression to indicate how the schemes of learning fit into the wider picture and how learning progresses within and between year groups.
Ready to progress mapping that shows how the schemes of learning link to curriculum prioritisation
Maths Journey at Newdigate - S Map
Link to Numbots: https://numbots.com/
NumBots | Motivational maths practice for schools and families.
Our Expertise (Mastery). At the start of a two-year process, the team made a commitment that NumBots would develop a robust understanding of mathematical concepts, strengthened by automatic recall of the basics – a true “teaching for mastery” approach.
