Mathematics
Mathematics 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 therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
At Redwell Primary school we aim to develop a positive attitude and enjoyment of learning towards Mathematics and the ability to solve problems through decision making, and reasoning in a range of contexts. We believe that Mathematics should provide a rich variety of learning experiences relating to everyday life.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we relate the mathematical aspects of the children's work to the Early Years Outcomes document and the Early Learning Goals (ELG), as set out in the EYFS profile document. Mathematical development involves providing children with opportunities to practise and improve and master their skills in counting numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems (fluency), and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures, exploring patterns and relationships. Children are encouraged to access a wide range of Mathematical resources to support their learning. The EYFS curriculum for Mathematics is split into two aspects: number and shape, space and measures. We continually observe and assess children in these areas using age-related objectives, planning the next steps in their mathematical development through a topic-based curriculum.
How are the British Values developed in Maths?
Democracy
In maths, we often work with learning partners to discuss and solve mathematical concepts and problems. We share resources with our partner. We take turns to listen to everybody speaking and explaining their reasoning. These learning behaviours are linked with our Redwell value of ‘Respect’ and ‘Responsibility’.
Furthermore, in maths, we learn about democracy through our statistics units in years 2 – 6. We use whole class voting to create and present information / data in different ways.
Rule of Law
During maths lessons, we understand and follow the school rules and values. We recognise their importance in keeping ourselves and our peers safe.
We follow and apply rules in the four calculations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Furthermore, we follow and apply rules when solving mathematical puzzles or maths games.
Individual Liberty
During maths lessons, we are allowed to make mistakes and understand the importance of them to help us learn and grow. We call them fantastic mistakes, and love to use them to help the whole class understand a misconception. Furthermore, we take risks during maths lessons but discussing and attempting to solve problems even if we find them challenging. These learning behaviours are linked with our Redwell value of ‘Resilience’ and ‘Ambition’
We listen and respect other children’s or adult’s ways of working out a problem but are allowed to choose our own way to solve a calculation or problem. This includes choosing the right manipulatives for us, such as counters or base ten.
Mutual Respect and Tolerance
In maths, as above, we often work with learning partners and share resources. We always show respect to whoever we are working with by being polite, taking turns, giving constructive and kind feedback and helping if needed. When solving problems in maths, we ensure that real life examples are used, and include examples of different faiths, ethnicities and cultures. These learning behaviours are linked with the Redwell Value of ‘Respect’ and ‘Compassion’.
Progression Maps