Mathematics
curriculum vision on a page maths.pdf
Mathematics Intent Statement
"I have learnt so much in maths. I like how maths is challenging, but how good I feel when I persevere and understand it!" - Phoebe Year 6
Our aims are to ensure that all pupils:
- Foster enjoyment, confidence and a positive attitude towards mathematics.
- Develop secure number sense, fluency and automaticity
- Build conceptual understanding using carefully chosen representations
- Apply mathematical knowledge flexibly in familiar and unfamiliar contexts
- Communicate using precise mathematical vocabulary
- Develop independence, resilience and perseverance when problem solving
Progression is mapped clearly across all year groups through long‑term overviews, the school’s calculation policy and year‑group expectations. These sequences ensure that concepts build cumulatively and allow pupils to make meaningful connections. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are confident in number, fractions, decimals and percentages and can reason and solve problems across geometry, statistics and early algebraic thinking. They leave St Margaret’s ready to thrive in secondary mathematics.
Inclusion is central to our design. All pupils access the same ambitious curriculum, with adaptations used to support individual needs. Scaffolding, manipulatives, pre‑teaching, post‑teaching and targeted interventions ensure that pupils with SEND, and those who require additional support, are enabled to succeed and make strong progress within the curriculum.
Mathematics Implementation Statement
At St Margaret's at Troy Town, the mathematics curriculum is designed to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum and to provide all pupils with a deep, secure understanding of mathematical concepts. We use White Rose Maths as our planning spine and adapt units thoughtfully to meet the needs of our school community. Teachers adjust the pace, representations, examples and small steps in response to ongoing assessment so learning remains responsive and ambitious for every child.
Lessons follow our whole‑school mastery structure. Prior knowledge is revisited, new learning is modelled explicitly and pupils move through guided practice before working independently. Reasoning and discussion are woven throughout each lesson to help pupils articulate their thinking clearly and develop strong mathematical language. We embed the Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) approach across all year groups to secure conceptual understanding before pupils work at an abstract level.
To ensure consistency and high‑quality teaching across the school, teachers make regular use of stem sentences, mathematical talk and carefully structured tasks. Intelligent practice supports pupils to develop fluency and flexibility, while retrieval tasks strengthen long‑term memory. Misconceptions are identified quickly and addressed through targeted feedback and modelling.
Supporting All Learners (including SEND)
We are committed to ensuring that all children access the full mathematics curriculum. Lessons are adapted where necessary, and support staff are deployed effectively to reinforce learning and build pupils’ confidence. Teachers use a wide range of adaptive strategies such as manipulatives, scaffolded prompts, sentence stems, pre‑teaching and chunked instructions. Adaptive questioning and flexible grouping support pupils who may need additional practice while still maintaining high expectations for every learner.
Challenge and Enrichment
In addition to daily opportunities for problem-solving and reasoning, we celebrate mathematics through whole-school events like World Maths Day. This annual event gives children the chance to apply their skills in fun, collaborative challenges that promote mathematical thinking and foster a love of learning. It builds confidence, teamwork and excitement about maths across the school.
Mathematics in the Early Years
In Nursery, children begin developing early mathematical understanding through play, exploration and meaningful interactions. Following the Birth to 5 Matters framework, they engage in counting games, sorting and matching activities, pattern work and practical problem‑solving, laying strong foundations in number and spatial reasoning.
In Reception, pupils follow the NCETM Mastering Number programme, which deepens early number sense, calculation and reasoning. This structured approach helps children develop secure conceptual understanding and prepares them confidently for the Early Learning Goals.
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/in-the-classroom/early-years/
We also use Ten Town across EYFS to support number recognition and formation in a fun, engaging way through characters, rhymes and stories.
To ensure progression through the different mathematical concepts, staff follow our calculation policy, adopted from White Rose. The policy has clear next steps, making it explicit for children to understand why they follow the procedures and develops their written methods of calculation.
Mathematics in action
The National Curriculum expectations:
Documents in folders containing the word 'letter' or 'minute' are listed in the order they were uploaded, most recent upload at the top. Otherwise, documents are listed alphabetically.
- maths-early-years-foundation-stage
- maths-year-1
- maths-year-2
- maths-year-3
- maths-year-4
- maths-year-5
- maths-year-6
Long Term Planning:
white rose maths yearly overviews.pdf
Calulation Policy:
Mathematics Impact Statement
At St Margaret’s at Troy Town, we measure the impact of our mathematics curriculum through pupils’ ability to know more, remember more and apply their understanding with increasing independence. Our approach ensures that pupils make strong progress from their starting points and develop the confidence needed to apply mathematics across the curriculum and in everyday life.
A range of assessment strategies enables teachers to identify what pupils have securely understood and any gaps that may need further teaching. As stated in our current school Maths page, we use a ‘Review, Teach, I Know’ cycle, where children’s starting points are revisited, new learning is taught, and understanding is checked continuously throughout lessons.
To support this, teachers use:
- Daily formative assessment, including questioning, observation, guided practice and analysis of pupils’ explanations
- End‑of‑unit assessments linked to White Rose Maths, allowing teachers to identify gaps before moving on
- Termly arithmetic and reasoning papers, which help track pupil progress throughout the year
- Summative assessments, used to monitor attainment and provide information for parents and carers
These systems ensure pupils’ strengths and areas for development are clearly understood by teachers, enabling precise adaptation and intervention.
Assessment Example:
We expect pupils to demonstrate increasing fluency, confidence and independence in mathematics. Over time, children develop secure written and mental calculation strategies, improved reasoning skills and the ability to select efficient approaches when solving problems. The cumulative nature of our curriculum enables pupils to make meaningful connections between concepts, supporting long‑term retention and deep understanding.
Regular assessment also contributes to whole‑school tracking systems, ensuring that progress for all learners, including pupils with SEND and those who may need additional support, is monitored carefully and addressed swiftly. This supports children to keep up, not catch up, and ensures the curriculum remains ambitious and accessible for every child.
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils at SMATT are confident, capable mathematicians who can articulate their thinking clearly, reason with accuracy and apply their knowledge to a wide range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts. They leave our school well prepared for the next stage of their mathematical journey.
In the most recent Year 6 SATs:
-
90% of pupils achieved the Expected Standard in Mathematics.
-
45% of pupils achieved the Greater Depth Standard in Mathematics.
These strong outcomes reflect the success of our mastery-based curriculum, high-quality teaching, and the hard work and perseverance of our pupils. We are proud of how our children approach maths with confidence and resilience. These results are above national averages and reflect the strength of our teaching, curriculum, and pupils’ hard work.
"Maths is a really good subject because it helps you in everyday life to solve everyday problems. I have really enjoyed learning maths during my time at SMATT." - Yousuf Year 6
Mathematics Policy
Adaptive Teaching Strategies in Mathematics:
adaptive teaching strategies maths 1 .pdf
What Our Pupils Say About Mathematics:
"Fluency Bee helps me remember things faster" - Henry Year 4
*I like world Maths Day every year, as we focus on a new thing each time!" - Arnold Year 5
"I like how we explain our answers, there’s always more than one way." - Devon Year 6
Supporting Your Child with Maths at Home
You can help by:-
Practising number bonds and times tables regularly.
-
Playing maths games like Hit the Button (other games are suggested below).
-
Using real-life maths (e.g. cooking, shopping, telling time).
-
Talking about how they solved problems in homework.
A little practice each day builds big confidence!
Helpful Mathematics Websites
This is free site and is suitable for EYFS all the way up to Year 6. Please use the browse by age group function to find appropriate games and activities for your child.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z6vg9j6
Another free site, again suitable for EYFS up to Year 6.
https://nrich.maths.org/primary
Nrich is a fantasic site, really working to build children's understanding of maths. I have linked to the KS1/2 site but for EYFS please click the 'Early Years' tab.
https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/index.html
For KS1 and 2 (KS1 top page of each, KS2 bottom) this has some great problems that might really stretch your child to think!
Suitable for all Year groups, and handily (and clearly!) sorted by year group!