Mathematics

Why Do We Teach Maths?

Maths is a life skill that we use every day — at work, at home, and beyond. From shopping and budgeting to planning a holiday, choosing a mortgage, or decorating a room, numeracy underpins our decisions.

Good numeracy is essential:

• As parents supporting our children’s learning.

• As patients understanding health information.

• As citizens making sense of statistics and economic news.

By ensuring children acquire strong mathematical skills, reasoning, and problem-solving ability, we give them the best chances of future success in employment, health, and wellbeing — while reducing the risks of school exclusion, truancy, and crime.

Our Approach to Maths

At Chalgrove, our teaching of mathematics is shaped by the aims of the National Curriculum. We want pupils to:

• Be fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics through varied and frequent practice, building strong conceptual understanding and rapid recall.

• Reason mathematically by following lines of enquiry, exploring relationships, and justifying arguments using mathematical language.

• Solve problems by applying their learning to a wide variety of routine and non-routine problems, breaking them into steps and persevering with solutions.

We teach maths daily using the White Rose Maths Hub Scheme of Learning, chosen for its clear structure, progression, and emphasis on fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving. This provides:

• A clear link to prior learning.

• Key questions for teachers to ask.

• Opportunities for open-ended, real-life, and cross-curricular maths.

We believe confident mathematicians need a firm foundation in number and mental strategies. Pupils are encouraged to explain and prove their thinking, developing deep understanding.

Curriculum Design

Our long-term plans, adapted from White Rose Maths, begin each term with a review of prior learning. This allows teachers to:

• Address gaps and misconceptions.

• Challenge pupils who have already grasped concepts.

• Deepen understanding within a skill before moving on.

Assessment

Assessment is ongoing and purposeful:

• Formative assessment includes immediate feedback from teachers (green pen), pupil responses (red pen), and TA feedback (purple pen).

• Summative assessment uses White Rose Block Assessments and end-of-term tests to support teacher judgements.

Children who need additional support receive timely interventions, either during or after lessons. Pupils with wider gaps are discussed at Pupil Provision meetings, with tailored interventions monitored closely for impact in collaboration with the SENCO and SLT.

Maths in the Early Years

In the Early Years, planning is guided by Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals (ELG), supported by White Rose Maths and NRICH. The focus is on building strong foundations through:

• Developing mathematical language.

• Sorting, matching, and comparing.

• Exploring patterns and subitising (e.g. dice, 5- and 10-frames).

Maths is taught daily, with opportunities for children to explore concepts through self-selected indoor and outdoor activities linked to class topics. Continuous assessment informs planning, while summative assessments are based on ELG expectations and exemplification materials.

Why Do We Teach Maths?

Maths is a life skill that we use every day — at work, at home, and beyond. From shopping and budgeting to planning a holiday, choosing a mortgage, or decorating a room, numeracy underpins our decisions.

Good numeracy is essential:

• As parents supporting our children’s learning.

• As patients understanding health information.

• As citizens making sense of statistics and economic news.

By ensuring children acquire strong mathematical skills, reasoning, and problem-solving ability, we give them the best chances of future success in employment, health, and wellbeing — while reducing the risks of school exclusion, truancy, and crime.

Our Approach to Maths

At Chalgrove, our teaching of mathematics is shaped by the aims of the National Curriculum. We want pupils to:

• Be fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics through varied and frequent practice, building strong conceptual understanding and rapid recall.

• Reason mathematically by following lines of enquiry, exploring relationships, and justifying arguments using mathematical language.

• Solve problems by applying their learning to a wide variety of routine and non-routine problems, breaking them into steps and persevering with solutions.

We teach maths daily using the White Rose Maths Hub Scheme of Learning, chosen for its clear structure, progression, and emphasis on fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving. This provides:

• A clear link to prior learning.

• Key questions for teachers to ask.

• Opportunities for open-ended, real-life, and cross-curricular maths.

We believe confident mathematicians need a firm foundation in number and mental strategies. Pupils are encouraged to explain and prove their thinking, developing deep understanding.

Curriculum Design

Our long-term plans, adapted from White Rose Maths, begin each term with a review of prior learning. This allows teachers to:

• Address gaps and misconceptions.

• Challenge pupils who have already grasped concepts.

• Deepen understanding within a skill before moving on.

Assessment

Assessment is ongoing and purposeful:

• Formative assessment includes immediate feedback from teachers (green pen), pupil responses (red pen), and TA feedback (purple pen).

• Summative assessment uses White Rose Block Assessments and end-of-term tests to support teacher judgements.

Children who need additional support receive timely interventions, either during or after lessons. Pupils with wider gaps are discussed at Pupil Provision meetings, with tailored interventions monitored closely for impact in collaboration with the SENCO and SLT.

Maths in the Early Years

In the Early Years, planning is guided by Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals (ELG), supported by White Rose Maths and NRICH. The focus is on building strong foundations through:

• Developing mathematical language.

• Sorting, matching, and comparing.

• Exploring patterns and subitising (e.g. dice, 5- and 10-frames).

Maths is taught daily, with opportunities for children to explore concepts through self-selected indoor and outdoor activities linked to class topics. Continuous assessment informs planning, while summative assessments are based on ELG expectations and exemplification materials.