At Cherry Tree Academy, we are committed to providing our children with a curriculum that has clear intention and impacts positively upon their needs.

Curriculum statement for the teaching and learning of Math 2021/2022

National Curriculum Intent

The national curriculum for mathematics intends to ensure that all pupils:

1. Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practise with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
2. Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing and argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
3. 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. Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas.

The programmes of study are, by necessity, organised into apparently distinct domains, but pupils should make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. We follow the White Rose maths scheme, with Deepening Understanding used to extend fluency, reasoning and problem solving. They should also apply their mathematical knowledge to science and other subjects.

Intent

At Cherry Tree Academy, we believe that all pupils, regardless of background, should enjoy mathematics and succeed in the subject, becoming confident, lifelong mathematicians. It is our aim for all pupils to acquire a deep, secure and adaptable understanding of all aspects of mathematics. We are committed to developing pupils’ a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject enabling them to make meaningful links to real life contexts that will be relevant and useful to them in their future endeavours.

At Cherry Tree Academy, this is underpinned by:

• High expectations: All children are expected to success and make progress from their starting points.
• Modelling: Teachers teach the skills needed to success in mathematics providing examples of good practise and having high expectations.
• A vocabulary rich environment: We intend to create a vocabulary rich environment where talk for maths is a key learning tool for all pupils. Pre-teaching key vocabulary is a driver for pupil understanding and develops confident of pupils to explain mathematically.
• Pattern and Connection Identification: All children will have opportunities to identify patterns or connections in their maths; they can use these to predict and reason and to also develop their own patterns or link in maths and other subjects.
• The teaching of fluency: We intend for all pupils to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practise with increasing complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• The teaching of reasoning: We intent for all pupils to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing and relationships and generalisations, and developing and argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
• The teaching of problem solving: We intend for all pupils to 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.

Implementation

Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach: We implement our approach utilising a CPA approach to teaching maths lessons:

• • Concrete –children use manipulatives to represent the concept they are being taught. This ‘hands on’ component using real objects is the foundation for conceptual understanding.
  • Pictorial –children use pictures and models to represent the concrete manipulatives including bar model and whole-part-whole models.
  • Abstract –this is the concept in the abstract form which is more readily understood once children have explored the concrete and pictorial. Pupils’ are now capable of representing problems by using mathematical notation.

Power Maths: At Cherry Tree Academy, we use Power Maths as a basis of our maths lesson to achieve the aims set out by the National Curriculum.  This is an exciting class mastery approach, which has been recommended by the DfE, that works for every child.  It is based upon the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach. Every lesson is divided into sections that involve plenty of discovery, sharing, collaboration, practice and reflection. Children are encouraged to solve problems each day through the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract thinking.  

At the heart of this programme is the idea that all children can achieve and be successful mathematicians with the right growth mindset.  It promotes five child friendly characters, each with their own positive skillset, to inspire and motivate children.  These characters can be found across our school and are allies for our children:

Our pupils:

• are open-minded and like to think differently
• will come up with a variety of methods or ideas to solving a problem
• are resilient and never give up even if our methods are not the most efficient
• always enjoy making mistakes and learning from them
• are confident, willing to take risks and are unafraid of failure
• are happy to share and discuss our ideas with others, learning from each other
• are eager, interested and inquisitive, asking lots of questions 

Fluent in Five: In order to enhance pupils mental and written arithmetic skills daily Fluent in Five sessions are taught. Fluent in Five has been designed to help children to distinguish between mental and written methods. This ultimately develops a child’s ability to complete all the questions in an arithmetic test in the limited time that they are given.

Assessment: Through our teaching, we continuously monitor pupils’ progress against expected attainment for their age, making daily formative assessments which are updated and tracked weekly using our balance system. These are used to inform teaching and interventions. Summative assessments are completed at the end of each half term; their results from discussions in termly Pupil Progress Meetings and update our summative school tracker.

The main purpose of all assessment is to always ensure that we are providing excellent provision for every child.

Online Maths Tools: In order to advance individual children’s maths skill in school and at home, we utilise Times Table Rock Stars for multiplication practise, application and consolidation. Maths homework is set termly, often using MyMaths.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD): We continuously strive to better ourselves and frequently share ideas and things that have been particularly effective. We take part in training opportunities and regional networking events, such as the NCETM Mastery Maths training scheme.

Cross Curricular: Maths is taught across the curriculum ensuring that skills taught in these lessons are applied in other subjects.

Impact

Pupil Voice: Through discussion and feedback, children talk enthusiastically about their maths lessons and speak about how they love learning about maths. They can articulate the context in which maths is being taught and relate this to real life purposes. Children show confidence and believe they can learn about a new maths area and apply the knowledge and skills they already have

Assessment: is integrated throughout our lessons and unit structure. This helps teachers make regular assessments of children’s understanding to inform their teaching and measure progress. For children, assessment is a chance for them to review key concepts and reflect on their learning using maths journals.  

Opportunities for assessment include:

• Formative assessment within every lesson
• Summative assessment at the end of each unit
• Teacher notes that help identify and address pupils’ misconceptions

Differentiation: is achieved, not through offering different content, but through paying attention to the levels of support and challenge needed to allow every student to fully grasp the concepts and ideas being studied. This ensures that all students gain sufficiently deep and secure understanding of the mathematics to form the foundation of future learning before moving to the next part of the curriculum sequence. This prevents students from being left behind and others from skimming and surface learning.

Journaling: has become an integral part of our maths lessons which has helped pupils focus on their learning and take ownership of it by providing opportunities for them to record and reflect at different points in the lesson. Pupils have developed the metacognition skills to take responsibility for, and play an active role in, their own learning and show motivation towards learning maths. It has helped teachers assess individual pupils needs and strengths. Pupils are able to articulate their thinking verbally and mathematical ideas are understood deeply, not merely passively received and are worked on by the pupil: thought about, reasoned with and discussed with others.

Evidence in Knowledge: Pupils know how and why maths is used in the outside world and in the workplace. They know about different ways that maths can be used to support their future potential.

Mathematical concepts or skills are mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using the mathematical language to explain their ideas, and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations.  Children demonstrate a quick recall of facts and procedures. This includes the recollection of the times table.

Evidence in Skills: Pupils use acquired vocabulary in maths lessons. They have the skills to use methods independently and show resilience when tackling problems. The flexibility and fluidity to move between different contexts and representations of maths.

Children show a high level of pride in the presentation and understanding of the work. The chance to develop the ability to recognise relationships and make connections in maths lessons. Teachers plan a range of opportunities to use maths inside and outside school.

Outcomes: At the end of each year we expect the children to have achieved Age Related Expectations (ARE) for their year group. Some children will have progressed further and achieved greater depth (GD). Children who have gaps in their knowledge receive appropriate support and intervention.