Curriculum Information

At Loose Primary School we want every pupil to develop a love of Maths. We aim to develop a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject and provide a programme for progression where pupils are stimulated and challenged. 

At Loose Primary School we have high expectations for every child. Teaching for mastery in Maths is essentially the expectation that all pupils will gain a deep understanding of the maths they are learning. For understanding in Maths to be secure, learning needs to be built on solid foundations. 

A mastery approach to the curriculum means pupils spend far longer on fewer key mathematical concepts whilst working at greater depth. Long term gaps in learning are prevented through speedy teacher intervention and those children who grasp the concepts more quickly are given opportunities to deepen their knowledge and improve their reasoning skills rather than accelerating on to new curriculum content. 

Problem solving is central and opportunities are given for pupils to calculate with confidence, ensuring an understanding of why it works so that pupils understand what they are doing rather than just learning to repeat routines without grasping what is happening. It is vital that pupils are able to apply their knowledge and skills to solve mathematical puzzles and problems, as well as explain their thinking and methods clearly.  

The White Rose Maths Curriculum is followed from Year 1 to Year 6, ensuring a consistent progression of representations, strategies and methods. We believe that children should develop a deep understanding of Mathematical concepts and therefore may spend longer on a concept if this is needed breaking concepts down to use a small steps approach which allows children to keep up rather than need to catch up.  

In EYFS, we prioritise building a secure number sense and a deep understanding of numbers to 10. We follow NCETM’s Mastering Number scheme, which provides a clear progression and opportunities for children to explore the composition of numbers. This in depth knowledge of number will support children as they move onto early calculation strategies. 

In KS1, the children build upon the number sense they have developed in EYFS – progressively applying this to mental calculation strategies. Although Years 1 and 2 follow the White Rose Maths Curriculum, they also complete an additional 10 minute Mastering Number session each day. 

In KS2, children continue to progress through the curriculum. There is a focus on formal written methods and the application of these skills to mathematical problems. 

Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract representations are modelled throughout a child’s school journey to develop a deep and sustainable understanding of maths in pupils. In addition, the correct use of mathematical vocabulary is essential for developing understanding and reasoning in Maths. Therefore, we begin to introduce this in EYFS and build upon this as the children progress through the curriculum. 

Pupils are encouraged to learn key number facts, such as, number bonds and multiplication facts from very early on in their education and our bespoke Rainbow Maths initiative supports children with learning key facts for each year group.  In addition, we use a number of online resources to support the teaching and learning of maths in school including MyMaths.co.uk and TT Rockstars.  

Ultimately, we want to guide our pupils to become independent and confident mathematicians, with the skills to achieve and continue their success in education and beyond. 

Since September 2015, all pupils have been taught mathematics based on the new National Curriculum for Mathematics. The programme of study aims to ensure that all pupils: 

(Taken from the new Maths National Curriculum).