‘Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject’

The New National Curriculum for Mathematics 2014

The New National Curriculum for Mathematics calls for children to:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions

It introduces the idea of ‘mastering’ the subject and that all children are aiming for this achievement. At Noak Bridge we have adopted this approach and have adapted our curriculum and teaching methods to meet the needs of the new curriculum. The CPA (concrete, pictorial and abstract) approach to teaching mathematics is being used to ensure different learning styles are catered for and children have a deep understanding of maths.

In Key Stage 1, children use practical resources and pictorial representations to support and embed their learning. Emphasis is placed on counting, number recognition, place value and calculating. Key number facts, which are vital for the mathematics taught in Key Stage 2, are learned, recalled and embedded through varied and frequent practice.   

In Key Stage 2, pictorial representations and practical resources are used alongside abstract methods to support and aid learning. In early Key stage 2, key facts from Key Stage 1 are recalled and developed, with gaps in learning addressed immediately. Across the key stage, varied activities are used to ensure children’s learning is embedded and can be applied in a variety of different contexts. Problem solving activities are important to assess children’s secure number knowledge.

Throughout both Key stages, Numicon, Dienes and place value counters are used to support children’s mathematical understanding.

When appropriate, across the school, children are encouraged to choose their level of work and challenge themselves accordingly using varying levels of ‘Chili’ challenges. Problem solving activities, reasoning questions and investigations are used to develop all children’s’ deeper understanding of the topic that they are being taught.