Maths
Mathematics
At HSM, we are passionate about giving all our children the best start in mathematics. Confidence and strong foundations are key in ensuring all children reach their full potential. We foster the following skills which will play an integral part of their learning in the future:
- Number facts
- Use & apply skills and knowledge
- Conceptual understanding
- Generalise & find patterns
- Perseverance
- Risk-takers
- Challenge
- Vocabulary
- Think mathematically
- Problem solvers
- Estimate
- Fluent calculators
- Reasoning
- Confidence
At HSM we have adopted the ‘Teaching for Mastery’ approach, ensuring each child has a solid understanding of the basic concept of number, a good number sense and secure understanding of place value. Emphasis is on deepening understanding by applying knowledge, reasoning and problem solving. We plan our curriculum from Reception to Year 2 using the ‘White Rose’ schemes of learning. You can read more about maths mastery and White Rose here:
Useful Documents:
Whole school calculation policy. This sets out the stages through which we teach the 4 operations from Early Years to Y2:
Whole School Maths Policy:
Assessment:
We use a ‘same day intervention’ approach, whereby children who have displayed difficulties grasping the objective in the daily maths lesson are quickly followed up that day or the following morning with additional input to ensure all children meet each objective. There is ongoing formative assessment using various methods including marking, self and peer assessment. During the school’s termly assessment weeks the children also complete a maths assessment based on the term’s learning objectives. Their progress is tracked and carefully monitored. Where children are not making good progress, interventions are used to close the gap. These will be discussed with parents as appropriate.
If you wish to help support your child’s maths learning at home, the following suggestions may be useful.
Measurement
- Capacity in the bath! Investigate how much bath water different containers can hold. Which container hold the most?
- Get baking – use scales, read numbers in recipes, discuss amounts etc
- Telling the time – talk about different times in the day, sequences of events, days of the week.
- Estimate & compare – longer/shorter/taller than, heavier/lighter than vocabulary
Money
- Saving and having a coin collection
- Shopping and having own purse.
- Coin rubbings activity- cutting & coin recognition
- How many different ways could we make…
- Counting the coin drops into a cup or jar to encourage skip counting 10p, 20p 30p
Number Facts and Times Tables
- Use songs and actions i.e. Percy Parker
- Dot to dot books/colour by number
- Board games
- Count in multiples before using the times table facts 0, 2, 4, 6, 8
- Learn tables out of sequence and related division facts
- Practical activities to encourage use and application of times tables i.e. setting the table, pairs of socks, shoes, packets of biscuits etc.
Useful Websites:
http://www.ictgames.com/resources.html
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting
If you have any queries about mathematics at school, please feel free to contact Mrs Smith (Maths Coordinator) via the school office.
