Mathematics

Subject Lead: Miss Foster

The National Curriculum for Mathematics (2021) states:

“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 provides a foundation for understanding the world, developing the ability to reason mathematically, and fostering a sense of enjoyment, curiosity, and appreciation for the subject.

Mathematics helps children make sense of the world around them. It teaches them how to:

• Analyse and communicate information

• Solve practical problems

• Connect ideas across different areas of learning

At Wrockwardine Wood Infant School and Oakengates Nursery Federation, our mathematics teaching is high-quality, interactive, and engaging. We provide rich opportunities for children to:

• Ask and answer questions

• Solve problems

• Share and explain their thinking

• Explore multiple methods and strategies

Curriculum Intent

We believe that mathematics is essential for everyday life, and our curriculum is designed to give children both the skills and confidence to apply their knowledge with fluency and independence.

We aim for children to:

• Enjoy mathematics and develop a positive attitude towards it

• Build a strong foundation in number through exploration and practice

• Develop spatial reasoning in shape, space, and measure

• Use and understand mathematical language to explain their thinking

• Apply their understanding across the curriculum and in real-life contexts

Our goal is to ensure that children:

• Count confidently

• Understand number deeply, recognising patterns and relationships

• Feel empowered to take risks, talk about their learning, and learn from mistakes

• Develop reasoning skills to justify and explain their mathematical thinking

Mastery Approach and the Maths Hub

We are proud to be working in partnership with the NCETM Maths Hub and follow a mastery approach to mathematics. This approach ensures that every child can achieve in maths by developing a deep, secure, and adaptable understanding of key concepts.

Through the Mastering Number Programme, we provide children in Early Years and Key Stage 1 with daily practice to build:

• Number sense

• Fluency with number facts

• Flexibility in calculation strategies

The mastery approach focuses on:

• Fluency – quick and accurate recall of facts and procedures

• Reasoning – the ability to explain and justify thinking

• Problem Solving – applying maths in a variety of contexts

This approach supports all learners, enabling them to progress at the same pace, with additional support or challenge where needed.

Curriculum Implementation

To bring our vision to life, we:

• Provide ongoing professional development, including support from an external mathematics consultant

• Use high-quality teaching sequences that build on prior knowledge

• Introduce new concepts using the concrete–pictorial–abstract (CPA) approach

• Use manipulatives and practical resources to support understanding

• Teach key skills alongside opportunities to apply knowledge in problem-solving contexts

• Encourage children to reason, explain, and discuss their ideas using correct mathematical vocabulary

• Use diagnostic assessment and discussion to address misconceptions and guide teaching

We also link mathematics to other subjects, such as science and geography, to provide real-life, meaningful contexts for learning.

Please click the links below to access key Mathematics documents: