Maths

Maths at Western House Academy ➕➖➗✖️

 

Intent: What We Aim to Achieve

At Western House Academy, we believe that every child can be a successful and confident mathematician! We use the White Rose Maths scheme of learning to deliver a high-quality, engaging, and challenging maths curriculum that follows a mastery approach.

We aim to develop children who are fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, can reason mathematically using correct vocabulary, and can solve problems by applying their understanding in varied contexts.

In Maths, "every opportunity shapes a life" by including the 4 key aspects of our curriculum (VKEE) through: 

• Values: We foster a culture of positive and can-do attitudes towards mathematics. Every child's value is recognised, promoting resilience to persevere when faced with challenging problems. We celebrate effort and teach pupils to view mistakes as valuable steps in the learning process.

• Knowledge: We prioritise the secure development of deep conceptual understanding and the rapid recall of essential mathematical facts (like number bonds and times tables). We build new knowledge on secure prior learning.

• Equality: We ensure that all pupils, regardless of their starting point, have access to the same high-quality learning experiences and are encouraged to achieve. We provide support and challenge so that everyone can grasp concepts before moving on.

• Experience: We provide rich and varied experiences using real-life contexts, games, and practical resources to make maths meaningful, exciting, and fun.

Implementation: How We Teach Maths

We implement our maths curriculum through the structured, small-step progression provided by White Rose Maths' Schemes of Learning.

The CPA Approach

A cornerstone of our teaching is the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach. This is fundamental to building a deep and lasting understanding:

• Concrete: Children first use physical objects (manipulatives) like counters, unifix cubes, or base ten blocks to understand a concept.

• Pictorial: They then move on to visual representations like drawings, bar models, or diagrams to model the concept.

• Abstract: Finally, they use abstract notation—numbers and symbols—to represent the problem, only once their conceptual understanding is secure.

Mastery Teaching

• Small Steps: Learning is broken down into small, carefully sequenced steps, ensuring children grasp one concept before moving to the next.

• Depth before Breadth: We focus on securing a deep understanding of concepts rather than rushing through content. Pupils who grasp concepts quickly are challenged through rich and sophisticated reasoning and problem-solving activities, not by accelerating onto new content.

• Mathematical Talk: We place a strong emphasis on mathematical vocabulary. Teachers model precise language, and children are encouraged to discuss their thinking, explain their methods, and justify their answers.

Impact: What Our Children Will Achieve

By the time children leave Western House Academy, they will be:

• Confident and resilient mathematicians with a positive attitude towards the subject.

• Fluent in fundamental mathematical skills and facts.

• Able to articulate their reasoning clearly and accurately using appropriate mathematical vocabulary.

• Equipped with the essential mathematical knowledge and experience to solve a range of increasingly complex problems.

• Prepared for the next stage of their education with a secure foundation for future mathematical learning.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through ongoing formative assessment, end-of-block assessment and termly assessments (using White Rose materials and end-of-key-stage assessments), and pupil voice discussions where children confidently talk about their learning. We monitor progress to ensure equality of opportunity and outcomes for all.