Our maths curriculum ensures a coherent and detailed sequence of content to support sustained progression over time. It has been designed using resources from White Rose Education and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM).

Using the Teaching for Mastery approach, teachers design lessons which follow a carefully planned progression of learning through the school and use a variety of resources to support learning. Teaching for Mastery involves carefully structured teaching in small steps. These steps provide the necessary scaffold for all to achieve, and the necessary detail to facilitate deep thinking.

We understand that all children learn at their own pace and some children, who may have more complex needs, may follow a different learning trajectory. We are equally ambitious to support those pupils on their journey to becoming a confident mathematician.

At Richard Cobden, we are committed to developing children’s fluency in mathematics. As part of this commitment, in addition to mathematics lessons, we also provide additional opportunities to support children’s mathematical fluency.

Mastering Number – Reception and KS1

The Mastering Number programme for Reception and KS1 is organised by the NCETM. The project aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and confidence and flexibility with number.

Number Sense- KS2

The Number sense programme is informed by research into the mathematical development of young children, particularly how children achieve automacity in multiplication facts. The programme develops recall of 36 core multiplication facts. Fluency in these facts provides the foundation for all written and mental multiplication and division. This programme is currently being followed in Years 3, 4 and 5.

Maths Star Badges

As part of our continued work on fluency, children also work to achieve their Maths Star Badges. The badges give children the opportunity to demonstrate their fluency as they work their way through the different levels. Starting with number bonds and doubles and building progressively towards multiplication tables.

Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), children will be able to count confidently, have a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between those numbers and the patterns within those numbers. Our early years curriculum provides frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding. Children are supported to develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built.

Our early years maths curriculum has been designed using resources from Development Matters, Birth to Five Matters, White Rose Education and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). Alongside a deep exploration of number, children are also provided with rich opportunities to develop spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and measure.

In our Nursery and Reception classes, we prioritise developing positive attitudes, natural curiosity and an interest in mathematics. Children look for patterns and relationships, spot connections and have detailed discussions with their friends and teachers about their learning.

Our focus in LKS2, is to ensure that pupils become increasingly fluent with whole numbers and the four operations. Teaching and learning opportunities ensures that pupils develop efficient and written mental methods. Children will continue to develop their ability to solve a range of problems, including simple fractions and decimal place value.

Continuing the progression through shape, space and measure, in LKS2 children learn how to draw shapes with increasing accuracy and develop mathematical reasoning to analyse shapes and their properties. Measuring instruments are used with accuracy and connections are made between measure and number.

By the end of Year 4, pupils should be fluent with their multiplication tables up to and including the 12-multiplication table.

As children move into UKS2, teaching and learning extends pupils’ understanding of the number system and place value to include larger numbers. The connections that children make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio are a key focus of mathematics learning. Children will continue to develop their problem-solving skills to solve a wider range of increasingly complex problems.

Our curriculum ensures that whilst knowledge of number is extended, knowledge of geometry and measures is also consolidated which enables children to classify shapes with increasingly complex geometric properties.

Our aim is for children at the end of Year 6 to be fluent in written methods for all four operations, including long multiplication and division. Children will also be able to work confidently with fractions, decimals and percentages. Children leave Richard Cobden Primary School with a positive attitude towards mathematics, a sense of enjoyment and a firm foundation for their learning at secondary school.

Richard Cobden Primary School is part of the London Central and North West Maths Hub. The Maths Hub programme is coordinated by the NCETM and brings together mathematics education professionals in a national network of 40 hubs. The Maths Hub programme seeks to develop and spread excellent practice, for the benefit of all pupils and students.