Welcome to our maths page. Here you will find out about what is being taught in each class throughout the year.
At Great Marsden St John's we believe that every child should have the opportunity to succeed in maths. Our curriculum is built on the five mastery principles set out by the NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics). These are:
- Representation and structure. At GMSJ we encourage the use of concrete manipulatives to support learning before moving onto representing problems and calculations through pictures. Finally, when children are ready, they move onto respresenting maths in an abstract form.
- Mathematical thinking. We encourage our children to explain their thought processes through effective questioning and to identify patterns and relationships, deepening their reasoning and problem solving.
- Fluency. Using known facts to support problem solving in the most efficient manner. For example knowing that 3 x 4 = 12 without having to consciously work it out.
- Variation. Providing different ways of representing problems.
- Coherence. Learning in sequenced small steps in a way that provided children with contextualised learning.
These are themes that run throughout our maths curriculum. We use the Red Rose Maths scheme in years 1 to 5 which builds on these principles. The content is delivered in small, coherent steps, each one building on the previous, so that our children are able to achieve in maths and we aim to enable them to become efficient problem solvers. The Red Rose Maths scheme is a spiral scheme which means that children come back to conepts previously taught and build on them throughout the year.
In year 6 teachers plan using the Lancashire Maths Disc to cohesively sequence the lessons over the year. These are supplemented using a variety of materials including the NCETM, White Rose Scheme and Testbase among others.
In addition, children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are supported through the Mastering Number programme. This is a programme of 10 - 15 minutes of maths, 4 times a week which aims to provide children with the practice needed to develop fluency in maths.
In Key stage 2 children are encouraged to become fluent in the multiplication and division facts through the use of Times Tables Rockstars. This fun interactive programme supports the children in learning their times tables whilst listening to rock music. You can play against yourself, your class and school mates, and other children from across the world. It is a programme which is highly structured, moving the children on when they are ready to do so. The more they practice, the faster they become, the more coins they earn. All the children in KS2 have a username and password. Please ask if your child is not sure of theirs.
Find it at : Times Tables Rock Stars (ttrockstars.com)
In addition each class in key stage 2 has designated fluency sessions where the children work on leaning facts so they become automatic. These sessions are outside of the main maths lesson. The fluency policy and objectives for each year group are below.
Maths
