Maths

At New Cangle School we believe that everyone can do maths. With good teaching, appropriate resources, effort and a ‘can do’ attitude, all children can achieve in and enjoy mathematics. We follow a mastery approach supported by the White Rose Maths Scheme and the DfE Maths Guidance 2020.

We apply these principles in our everyday lessons:

• Everyone can learn mathematics.
• If you ‘can’t do it’, you ‘can’t do it yet’.
• Mistakes are valuable.
• Questions are important.
• Mathematics is about creativity and problem solving.
• Mathematics is about making connections and communicating what we think.
• Depth is much more important than speed.
• Maths lessons are about learning, not performing.

Lessons are carefully planned in small steps to provide a scaffolded, conceptual journey, engaging children in reasoning and the development of mathematical thinking. Each class works together on the same topic, whilst challenge is provided through depth rather than acceleration into new content.

Practical resources (manipulatives) such as place value counters, Base 10 and bead strings are used to support children to understand maths across all year groups in most lessons. The children are encouraged to draw a problem as this makes it easier to understand difficult abstract concepts. This could be drawing a real object, number line, bar model or an array.

Activities that provide the opportunity for ‘everyone to get started and for everyone to get stuck’ are often enjoyed by the children. These Low-Threshold High-Ceiling tasks are grounded in a philosophy that everyone can do well in maths regardless of their prior attainment, and making mistakes, struggling and persevering are all important.

Another important element of Maths teaching at New Cangle is retrieval practice which is a strategy in which bringing information to mind enhances and boosts learning. Flashback Four which is part of the White Rose scheme is used daily as a quick retrieval activity. It consists of 4 questions covering previous topics. Children also practise their arithmetic skills regularly using Written Arithmetic Questions.

Children are taught to develop both the conceptual understanding and the fluency (quick recall) of the times tables. Children regularly practise their times tables in school in a variety of ways including chanting, singing, quick fire questions and online games such as Times Tables Rockstars. A typical TTRockstars session includes a 3-minute practice session that mixes up straight multiplication and the inverse division relationship…all whilst listening to some classic rock tunes! All children have their own accounts and can practice their times tables at home in a fun way.

For further information about our Maths curriculum, please see the following documents:

Maths Intent, Implementation & Impact Statement

White Rose Maths National Curriculum

White Rose Maths Calculation Policy 2024

National Curriculum times tables end of year expectations for each year group.

Year 1 Count in multiples of 2, 5 and 10. Recall and use doubles of all numbers to 10 and corresponding halves.

Year 2 Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers.

Year 3 Recall and use the multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables.

Year 4 Recall and use multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up to 12 x 12.

Year 5 Revision of all multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12.

Year 6 Revision of all multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12.

Useful Websites:

BBC Bitesize - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

White Rose Maths- https://whiterosemaths.com/

TTRockstars - https://ttrockstars.com/

NRICH - https://nrich.maths.org/

NCETM - https://www.ncetm.org.uk/

NumBots - https://play.numbots.com/

Top Marks Maths Games - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games

Maths is led by Miss Carter who believes that Maths is fun and can be enjoyed by everyone.