At the Solent Schools, our teaching and learning of Mathematics is embedded through Maths Mastery using the ‘Five Big Ideas’ of coherence, representation and structure, mathematical thinking, fluency and variation. Following a Growth Mindset approach, challenge is available to all pupils. We aim to develop children’s understanding of number, shape, space and measure. We teach the children problem solving skills and strategies that they can use and apply confidently and competently in their learning and in a range of everyday contexts. Children will be given opportunities to develop, consolidate and reinforce taught Mathematical skills through all areas of the curriculum. They will use a number of resources to support their learning and will be able to apply and embed their understanding.

Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. (National Curriculum 2014)

In Key Stage 1, Mathematics is taught following the National Curriculum (2014) and against the objectives set out for each year group. During the year the children will experience mathematics learning through Maths Mastery. This is planned for through a combination of whole class teaching, group work, paired work and individual work alongside discretely taught fluency sessions.
We ensure that Mathematics learning is delivered through the Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract (CPA) approach. This ensures that the children have the opportunity to apply their Mathematics knowledge in a variety of representations.

At Solent Infant School, we have recently embarked on our Mastering Number Journey. This means that the children have dedicated Fluency sessions, 4 times per week, following the Mastering Number Programme. This ensures that the fundamentals of Mathematics are consistently revisited across the academic year, building understanding, confidence and fluency. As part of the Mastering Number Programme, every child now has access to a Rekenrek which is supporting them in building their understanding of number and representation. The Mastering Number Programme is also directly linked with Number Blocks which is used to further consolidate mathematical understanding.

The National Curriculum 2014 for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils by the end of each Key Stage; become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. They are able to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language. They can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.