Our maths curriculum is based upon the principles of teaching for Mastery. At Northfield Infant School we see teaching for mastery in maths as allowing the pupils to gain a deep understanding of maths, allowing them to acquire a secure and long-term understanding of maths that allows them to make continual progress to move onto more complex topics. We believe that everyone can do maths. Maths is a subject that everyone can and should be able to perform confidently and competently. Our expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress should always be based on the security of the pupil’s understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly should be challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems rather than acceleration onto new content. Those children who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier materials will consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice and support, before moving on.
For all areas of maths, pupil’s learning will begin with concrete experience, leading onto pictorial representations and ultimately mental strategies. When appropriate, pupils will be taught formal recording methods. In all Year groups, mental maths skills and strategies will be taught additionally to the timetabled maths session through daily, discrete, number sense routines.
