Maths

Maths at Hillside

At Hillside we are passionate about developing numerate children who have a love and understanding of maths. As a school we encourage a relentless pursuit of mathematical understanding and skill in order to help our pupils to become inquisitive and confident mathematicians. Over the last few years we have been working to embed the idea of Mastery within our Maths teaching- encouraging children to develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.

Early Years

In EYFS pupils should be developing their concept of the number system through the use of concrete materials and pictorial representations. They should experience practical calculation using a wide variety of equipment, e.g. small world play, role play, counters, cubes, ways of recording calculations using pictures, etc. We use Numicon to help develop a deep understanding of the number system. Reception are currently taking part in the Mastering Number Programme from NCETM, which is a programme designed to ensure children have a thorough understanding of number and the number system. This programme will make up the majority of Maths taught sessions, with the remainder being teacher designed in order to cover other aspects of the curriculum. In order to ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are covered we have created a long term plan which covers both Reception and Nursery that identifies key concepts to be taught, including those from the Mastering Number programme.

KS 1 and 2

From Year 1—6  we use Maths No Problem! (MNP) supplemented with teacher designed resources. This scheme uses the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach to encourage children to think mathematically, building in lots of opportunities for mathematical discussion and encouraging the use of manipulatives. As part of our work on manipulatives we have introduced Numicon across KS1 and 2 in order to give children access to a consistent manipulative should they need it. Teachers have the flexibility to adapt the ideas in MNP and some lessons will be designed from scratch if teachers feel there is a more effective approach to teaching a concept. Our learning for each half term has been put into a 6 week framework to show the flow of learning and teachers have considered carefully the best time to teach each concept. As a result of the publication of the Ready To Progress Criteria we have also been able to identify key content within each year group. This content is already part of our Maths curriculum but is highlighted within planning so staff are aware of its importance.

In 2020-21 KS1 are participating in the NCETM Mastering Number trial. This is a programme which is based on 4 sessions a week outside of Maths lessons which aims to develop children’s understanding of Number and the Number system. As part of this work one of the key resources which pupils will use is a Rekenrek.

Other aspects of Maths

Daily Arithmetic Practice

In Years 2 – 6 children have the opportunity to practise arithmetic regularly through 10 in 10. 10 in 10 is a set of 10 questions which the children have 10 minutes to answer. The questions are carefully chosen to cover:

• Recent/Current teaching
• End of Year expectations
• Ready to Progress Criteria

This gives the children the opportunity to practise key mathematical skills throughout the year and encourages regular revisiting of concepts.

Times Table Rockstars

As a school we use Times Table Rockstars as a way to practise Times Table knowledge, both in preparation for the MTC at the end of Year 4 and to contribute towards children’s fluency in mathematical facts.

In Year 3 and 4 children have regular sessions in class where they use TTRS to practise their times tables. All children from Year 2 – 6 have access to TTRS online and can use it to practise their tables at home.