We adopt a practical, activity-based approach to maths, particularly at Key Stage 1. Number skills are given great emphasis. We encourage mental arithmetic and the active enjoyment of problem solving. Maths is not just classroom based, but has its real use in the outside world of everyday life. With this in mind we encourage children to see maths as a useful skill, necessary for problem solving, decision-making and a host of daily tasks.
In Maths, children learn about shape, space and measures. They learn about handling data, interpreting information and the concept of probability. Children are encouraged to become responsible for recording their results, devising their own methods and broadening their mathematical vocabulary and reasoning skills.
IN 2014 one of the new initiatives we introduced was 'The Olympic Times Tables'. It is really important that all children aim to learn their times tables facts off by heart, in any order, and by being able to recall the associated division facts as well. This will help them in a wide range of activities, both at school and at home.
At Milton Abbot School we design curriculum plans for every subject, and our Writing Curriculum plan can be found here:
At Milton Abbot School we plan teaching sequences that meet the National Curriculum objectives and build a child’s skills and knowledge. However, from our experience, a confident attitude towards maths can make all the difference. So, we ask all our parents to avoid saying: “Well, I was never very good at maths!”. Stop. Don’t say it. Pretend. From the earliest moments in pre-school, we immerse our children in a positivity when it comes to number. Our planned sequences seek to combine fluency and reasoning, like two threads of the same rope that bind together for strength. This can involve setting problems and puzzles to solve and challenge, whilst regularly revisiting and revising key skills. The two golden blocks that form the solid foundation for all maths is place value knowledge and times-tables, and so there two areas are continuously revised in every class. To support assessment, before we plan a sequence the children complete an ‘Elicitation Task’, which is an independent piece of work to demonstrate their existing skills and knowledge around a selected focus. The teacher carefully looks for gaps and plans around these. During the sequence, the children will practice new skills from the core focus and revise previously taught skills, until pupils are ready to test these skills out independently in an ‘Application Task’ and/or under test conditions.
