St Dunstan's SchoolMaths Curriculum
“Good Mathematics is not about how many answers you know…… it’s how you behave when you don’t know.” (Einstein)
Without mathematics, there’s nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers. –Shakuntala Devi
Maths Curriculum Intent
Our intent is to develop our pupil’s ability to reason mathematically, problem solve and develop procedural fluency and conceptual understanding in each strand of the curriculum.
We aim to support out pupils to become fluent in the fundamentals of written and mental calculations and techniques, through varied and frequent practice. We want them to become fluent in their knowledge and recall of number facts, and strive to have ‘facts at their fingertips’. At all times, pupils we aim for pupils to use precise mathematical language and speak in complete sentences.
As they progress through school, our children will develop the necessary skills to make them “deep thinkers”, acquiring maths skills that can be recalled quickly and transferred and applied in, and to,
different contexts. They need to be able to make rich connections across the areas of maths and use their knowledge in other subjects. Maths is the foundation for understanding the world and we want our children to know the purpose behind their learning and to apply their knowledge to their everyday lives.
At the core of our curriculum is the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach to maths. They are taught and encouraged to explain their choice of methods and develop their mathematical reasoning skills. We encourage resilience and conceptual variation and an acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning.
St Dunstan’s follow the ‘White Rose’ maths scheme
Curriculum Implementation
Mathematics in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1)
In the EYFS and KS1 at St Dunstan's, we focus on mastering number lessons to nurture our children's number sense and promote quick recall of essential number facts. Through engaging activities on number bonds, doubles, and other key arithmetic concepts, we lay a solid foundation for our students to build upon as they advance in their mathematical understanding.
Our daily maths lessons in the EYFS and KS1 at St Dunstan's follow the White Rose scheme, a structured approach that ensures comprehensive coverage of essential mathematical concepts. By incorporating concrete, pictorial, and abstract representations in our teaching, we aim to deepen our students' understanding of mathematics and address any misconceptions effectively.
Mathematics in Key Stage 2 (KS2)
As our students progress into KS2, our focus is on further developing their numeracy skills and exploring more complex mathematical topics. Continuing with the White Rose scheme in daily maths lessons, we provide a coherent framework for the exploration of advanced mathematical concepts while maintaining a strong focus on building upon the foundational knowledge acquired in earlier stages.
Throughout KS2 and the rest of the school, we approach mathematics with a combination of concrete manipulatives, pictorial representations, and abstract representations. This approach helps our students develop a robust mathematical skill set and prepares them for the challenges of higher-level maths.
Furthermore, at St Dunstan's, we place a strong emphasis on mastering times tables. In addition to dedicated classroom time for times tables practice, we supplement our teaching with the engaging online platform, Times Tables Rock Stars. This interactive website not only helps our students improve their multiplication skills but also makes learning times tables enjoyable and rewarding.
Times Table Rock Stars has been made available to support and engage children with the recall of times table facts.
