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ncetm_five_big_ideas_updated_feb_2024.pdf

Being a Mathematician at Bluecoat...

We aim to enable pupils to think, reason and apply their knowledge to solve problems, allowing them to develop deep and lasting understanding of mathematical procedures and concepts.

Intent

We aim to foster curiosity and excitement in discovering mathematical concepts and broadening pupils' knowledge and understanding of the importance of mathematics in the wider world.

We encourage and support our pupils to see themselves as mathematicians, making rich connections between mathematical ideas in order to be confident in explaining and applying their knowledge and understanding, solving problems and embracing new challenges.

We intend to develop knowledge and understanding by regularly revisiting mathematical concepts, giving pupils the opportunity to consolidate and deepen their understanding.

Implementation

Across the school, maths planning is contextualised to link to our topics as appropriate.

As we work towards a Mastery approach, White Rose Maths planning resources are used to ensure consistency across year groups, alongside NCETM and NRICH materials. In Reception, Year One and Year Two, the Mastering Number Programme is followed, supported by White Rose Maths resources. No Nonsense Number Facts and M Cubed resources are also used to support the planning, teaching and learning of times tables facts and to develop fluency in number facts.

Pupils' reasoning is scaffolded through sentence stems and further developed through probing questions. This supports their verbal and written explanations. Careful use of manipulatives and mathematically structured images support pupils in gaining a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.

Good quality Wave 1 teaching provides adaptations to lessons in order to enable and extend pupils with individual needs including 'Dive Deeper' challenges to consolidate and deepen understanding. We also use the Number Stacks Programme to support pupils with gaps in their learning. Additional provision is identified in individual and whole class provision maps.

Connections between vocabulary, contexts, symbols and mathematically structured images are made explicit during teaching sessions, and are displayed on a workign wall within the classroom. Each term the Maths Lead attends the Primary Maths Subject Leader meeting and shares the learning and resources with staff. The group is also involved in the 'Embedding Teaching for Mastery' Work Group.

Pupils in Chapter One are provided with weekly home learning activities which link to current learning in school and are of a practical nature. Parents and carers are encouraged to share these with the school via Tapestry. Pupils in Chapters Two and Three (Y2-Y6) have their own TT Rockstars and Mathletics accounts. TTRS supports recall of multiplicationa nd division facts. Mathletics tasks are set to link with current maths learning in school. A maths club is run in the Autumn and Spring term to provide support.

Impact

Assessment in maths is regular and ongoing. Teachers use elicitation tasks to inform their planning and interventions and to ensure they are providing a mathematics curriculum that will allow each child to progress. Task sheets are used for each unit of work and highlighted to show attainment and progress. Feedback is given to pupils through written and verbal comments, with opportunities for pupils to respond. Pupils from Years 2-6 complete a termly summative assessment (WRM paper or previous SATs paper) in order to support teacher assessment.

The teaching and learning of maths is also monitored through book scrutinies, pupil conferencing, learning walks and lesson observations.

White Rose Maths

Using White Rose Maths (WRM), we teach Maths as a lifelong skill. We provide pupils with high quality lessons to develop mathematical fluency, as well as the confidence to solve a wide range of mathematical problems. We intend to build knowledge, skills and understanding by revisiting concepts at regular intervals, and by providing pupils with the opportunity to refresh and rehearse them through practice, consolidation and deepening at every age and stage.

Representations Used in Maths

At Great Torrington Bluecoat C of E Primary School, we use a range of representations in maths to help children understand concepts deeply and make connections in their learning. These include concrete resources (such as counters, cubes and place value charts), pictorial models (like bar models and number lines), and abstract methods (such as written calculations and symbols). By moving between these representations, pupils develop strong number sense and confidence in problem-solving.

Representations used in maths(web)

WRM calculation policy 2024(web).pdf

Calculation Policy - Overview and Foundation Stage(web)

Calculation Policy – Supporting Consistent and Clear Maths Learning

We have adopted the calculation policy from White Rose maths. The policy sets out the methods we use to teach addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division across the school. It ensures a consistent approach from year to year, helping children build on their knowledge step by step. The policy also explains how we use practical resources, visual models, and written methods to support understanding at each stage. By following this progression, children gain confidence, accuracy, and a deep understanding of how numbers work. This document is a helpful guide for parents too, so you can see how maths is taught and support your child at home with methods that match the classroom.

One Minute Maths

Designed for use both in class and at home, White Rose Maths 1-minute maths app helps children build greater number confidence and fluency. It’s all about targeted practice in engaging, one-minute chunks.

For a unique three-word access code, please speak to your child's class teacher.

Able Mathematicians

What makes a good mathematician? What skills do you need in order to be efficient? What do you learn about in maths? Who helps you and how? We asked some of our mathematicians at Bluecoat School. Watch the films to find out their thoughts!

Thank you Megan, Will, Matthew and Hayden for your contributions.

Maths Research

During 2019, Dr Ruth Trundley and Dr Helen J. Williams worked in collaboration with two schools – Great Torrington Bluecoat Church of England Primary School in Devon, and St Ives Infant School in Cornwall – to investigate how variation theory (Marton & Tsui, 2005) might be applied to the teaching of early number in year 1 (children aged between five and six years old).

The project had three aims:

To increase understanding of how variation theory might be applied in relation to younger learners.
To further understanding of how variation might foster young children’s developing mathematics sense.
To develop pedagogical subject knowledge of the effects of conscious (and unconscious) decisions regarding resource-use.

The project ran during the spring and summer terms of 2019, and involved three teachers in three year 1 classes. The mathematical focus was on the move from ‘counting-all’ to ‘counting-on’, which research indicates is critical to numerical understanding (Nunes & Bryant, 2009).

https://www.atm.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/Journals/MT270/Ruth_Trundley_and_Helen_J_Williams.pdf

https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/learning-from-variation

https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/what-is-variation-in-early-years-mathematics

Loughborough University: The role of problem format in word problem-solving performance

During Summer 2022, Bluecoat is taking part in a research study carried out by Loughborough University investigating the role of problem format in word problem-solving performance. Please see the letter below with full details.

Parent Guardian-Information Sheet

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