Intent:
At Warren Park, we believe that Mathematics is a fundamental life skill which equips learners for today and prepares them for the future. We engender a passion for Mathematics and, through daily lessons, strive to develop children’s mathematical thinking from apprentice level to independent, resilient mathematicians. Through an ambitious curriculum, we aim to inspire all of our children to enjoy and enthuse about mathematics, leading to high levels of confidence and proficiency within the subject. Through careful selection, sequencing and linking of declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge, we aim to systematically impart core mathematical facts, concepts, methods and strategies to enable children to experience success when problem solving. Through systematic, teacher led approaches, our Progression of Skills aims to ensure high levels of automaticity which mean that pupils work in depth and are extremely familiar with the facts and methods that will form strategies taught and applied later in their learning. Our vision is that all children have the opportunity to succeed, balancing new learning and rehearsal with regular opportunities to revisit skills and to ensure they are consolidated. Our goal is that all pupils keep up with peers and, where necessary, early intervention is provided to allow extra support to be given which allows all pupils to be successful and to continue to make positive progress in their learning journey.
Implementation:
Through a three teacher, flexible, three set model, our learning journey is sequenced such that key facts, vocabulary and symbols are embedded from the start of the school journey. This occurs through systematic, clear instruction which enables extensive practice, development of key skills and allows all children the opportunity to experience mathematical success. Our instruction includes a focus on procedural variation which ensures tasks are varied, connected, achievable and step through a learning sequence. Teaching is supported through worked examples, modelling of presentation standards and high levels of questioning to support pupils and ensure understanding. As children progress through their learning, core concepts and facts are delivered sequentially to support current and future learning whilst pupils are given clear guidance on strategies which ensure automatic recall and levels of certainty which are not possible from derivation or guesswork. These strategies, particularly in KS1, include use of a variety of concrete, pictorial and abstract methods which act as a bridge to high levels of conceptual understanding and making new connections. As automaticity and confidence develop, children are encouraged to work independently and use formal strategies which they have developed on their learning journey. As children develop into highly organised thinkers, they are able to combine facts and methods, recognise problem types and become successful problem solvers. Targeted questioning also ensures appropriate levels of challenge for all pupils whilst enabling those at a Greater Depth to dive even deeper and prove their thinking. Through intelligent curriculum design, opportunities to rehearse, review and test skills are continually woven into the teaching sequence through a balance of the rehearsal of core facts, methods and strategies combined with practice which ensures children reason, justify and prove concepts.
Impact:
Children at Warren Park consistently achieve well when assessed at the end of their primary school journey.
Pupil progress is continually monitored to ensure pupil understanding and, when any misconceptions are highlighted, to ensure tricky concepts are revisited and consolidated. Measurable, short term goals are provided for children which enable a sense of progress, achievement and success. Frequent, quick quizzes, end of unit assessment and teacher feedback aim to provide children with the chance to develop and demonstrate their increasing levels of skill and to support the ongoing teacher, pupil, parent assessment dialogue. In addition, teacher development is proactively planned to ensure that best practice is shared and is to the benefit of pupils and staff alike.