Maths

Intent

At Valley Road Academy we have high expectations for all of our pupils and believe that they can achieve highly and become confident and skilled mathematicians. We strive for all pupils to enjoy mathematics and to understand the importance of mathematics in their everyday lives.  

In line with the aims of the National Curriculum for mathematics, at Valley Road Academy we aim to ensure that our pupils gain:  

• An ability to build on previous knowledge  
• Fluency with number  
• An ability to reason about a concept and make connections  
• Acquire deep and sustainable learning in mathematics, which they are able to apply to a range of contexts  
• Sound procedural and conceptual understanding  
• An ability to solve complex problems by breaking them down into smaller steps and showing resilience  

Implementation

At Valley Road, we use The White Rose Maths scheme of work as the basis of our planning.  It is  designed to support a mastery approach to teaching and learning and are consistent with the aims and objectives of the National Curriculum.

Every day, math lessons begin with ‘number of the day’. This is to focus on specific mental strategies to answer questions by showing jottings and using mathematical vocabulary when answering.

Following Number of the Day, there is a counting stick session. This allows pupils to practise and rehearse multiplication facts, so they become fluent in recall. This will last around 15 minutes, during which time opportunities for pupils to develop a range of mental strategies, as well as reason and apply multiplication facts into more complex problems are provided. Teachers use a wide range of sophisticated methods to ensure pupils are able to use this knowledge to make connections to wider mathematical concepts. This is a fundamental aspect of maths, and equips children with the appropriate skills, to solve more complex problems. From the counting stick a seamless transition takes pupils into the main part of the lesson, introducing a new concept(s). 

Best seat in the house

To increase the incentive to learn times tables, we feature best seat in the house during our Friday celebration assembly. Pupils with the highest scores in Times Tables Rockstars or for showing a fantastic effort during maths, are rewarded with the best seat in the house.

Impact

Pupils experience high quality maths teaching, and as a result they are highly motivated and love maths. All pupils achieve well and reach their full potential. Pupils  become skilled mathematicians who have the ability to determine which strategies are most efficient to help them when completing arithmetic questions. They acquire a rich web of interconnected knowledge and skills, which they can confidently apply to reason and problem solve. Outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 are well above national, something which we are all very proud of.

Click the links below for an overview for each year group.