Maths

“With God, everything is in our reach.”

St Francis is a Roman Catholic Primary School, which strives to provide a good quality Catholic education for all children who attend the school as we prepare them for life in the wider world.

At St. Francis Primary School, our vision for mathematics education is to cultivate a vibrant and positive learning environment that nurtures students with a resilient attitude towards mathematics. We aspire to empower each student with competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge, concepts, and skills, fostering a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

Our primary goal is to instil in our students an intrinsic motivation to embrace challenges and persevere through problem-solving. We envision a community where every student possesses the ability to think critically, reason effectively, and approach mathematical challenges with enthusiasm and creativity.

We believe in fostering a love for mathematics that goes beyond mere memorisation of formulas and procedures. Our vision is to cultivate mathematical thinkers who not only excel in calculations but also comprehend the underlying principles, enabling them to apply their knowledge to real-world situations. By encouraging curiosity and exploration, we aim to develop inquisitive minds that actively seek solutions and view mathematics as a tool for understanding the world around them.

Our commitment extends to equipping students with the skills to work systematically and accurately. We envision learners who are adept at organising their thoughts, breaking down complex problems, and approaching them with logical reasoning. Through hands-on activities, collaborative learning, and engaging challenges, we strive to create an environment that promotes a growth mindset, where setbacks are seen as opportunities for learning and improvement.

In summary, our vision for mathematics education at St. Francis Primary School is to nurture students who not only possess a solid foundation of mathematical knowledge but also embody a positive and resilient attitude towards the subject. We aim to foster competence, confidence, problem-solving abilities, logical reasoning, and systematic thinking, preparing our students for a future where they can confidently navigate the mathematical landscape with curiosity, creativity, and skill.

Practical Ways in which we attempt to carry out our Mission Statement

• We promote Gospel values so children live, learn and celebrate the teachings of Christ.
• We provide a secure and safe environment where children feel valued and happy.
• We develop in each child a sense of achievement, value and self-worth to enable them to achieve their full potential.
• We encourage our children to make positive choices and exercise self-discipline.
• We involve parents in all aspects of their child's education and promote positive home-school partnerships.
• We encourage positive relationships which promote social justice and recognise and celebrate individual differences present in society.
• We strive to always be approachable and caring whilst valuing what others say and do.

Aims of the Mathematics Policy

The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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.

Intent

What are we trying to achieve for our children in Mathematics?

• We want our children to develop a love of maths and enjoyment of learning
• We aim to develop number fluency across the school to empower children with basic skills
• We want our children to be problem solvers in many contexts. The skills they develop and learn at St Francis should be meaningful beyond a maths lesson, and transferable to other aspects of the curriculum and their lives
• We want reasoning skills to be developed by all children as part of the maths curriculum
• We want our children to make links and see patterns in maths through the use of variation in representation and mathematical discussion
• We aim to provide sufficient challenge and support to all of our learners
• We aim to create and embed an attitude of growth mind-set and to develop resilience
• We aim to develop the confidence of all children whilst focussing on providing the opportunity of mastery within the subject

Implementation

How is the curriculum delivered?

• We follow agreed Small Steps of Progress to ensure progression within year groups and across year groups as well as to increase consistency of approach, whilst tailoring lessons to the needs of our cohorts
• We are developing a mastery approach to teaching and learning to include concrete, pictorial and abstract exposure and application for all learners
• Using staff meetings, INSET and planning support from Maths lead
• Learning is adapted, rather that differentiated, to ensure that no child’s learning is capped
• Children are stretched and challenged once they are secure in a concept
• Providing opportunities through cross-curricular links

Impact

What difference is the curriculum making?

• Supportive monitoring cycle and book looks used to monitor and increase consistency across the school
• Planning support and shared feedback used to begin to develop a concrete, pictorial, abstract approach to teaching and learning
• Data is being monitored and interventions used to support children identified
• Book scrutiny used to monitor progress over each year
• Interventions use a ‘keep up not catch up’ philosophy