At Howley Grange Primary School we teach Mathematics daily within specific lessons, however children practise and use their maths skills throughout the school day, including in both daily Snappy Maths and TT Rockstars additional sessions.

Mathematics teaches us how to make sense of the world around us through developing a child’s ability to calculate, to reason and to solve problems. Here at Howley Grange we endeavour to make Mathematics stimulating, enjoyable and challenging. We ensure all children have rich opportunities to use and apply their mathematical learning. 

Mathematics is delivered using a mastery model in all year groups. Work is taught in blocks with the aim that we do not just cover topics, but give children the chance to master them, applying the skills they have learnt in a range of contexts.  The mastery approach incorporates objects, pictures, words, numbers and symbols to help children to explore and demonstrate mathematical ideas. All pupils, when introduced to a new concept, should have the opportunity to build competency in this topic by using the "concrete - pictorial - abstract" approach. Pupils are encouraged to physically represent mathematical concepts. Objects and pictures are used to demonstrate and visualise abstract ideas, alongside numbers and symbols.

Concrete – children should have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand what they are doing. Children might begin by handling real objects, such as apples, and then move on to using physical representations of those objects, for example counters.

Pictorial – alongside this children should use pictorial representations. These representations can then be used to help reason and solve problems. Drawings act as a bridge between the concrete objects that the children have been using and the abstract symbols that they must learn to use.

Abstract – both concrete and pictorial representations should support children’s understanding of abstract methods. They can then move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts with confidence.

Here at Howley Grange, we use the White Rose Scheme of Learning to inform our planning. Our Maths Curriculum is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before. Within our daily maths lessons, we ensure that the relevant knowledge, skills and understanding are embedded. We do this by developing understanding. White Rose Maths believe, along with us, that by truly understanding each maths concept and by mastering learning one step at a time, EVERYONE CAN DO MATHS: EVERYONE CAN!

Alongside White Rose Maths, we use a range of other materials to support the teaching and learning of maths here at Howley, these include:

The National Curriculum expectation for Primary Schools across the UK is that, by the end of Year 4, pupils can recall all 12 times tables up to 12x2. With this in mind, we ensure that by the end of year 2, children are able to recall multiplication facts for the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times table accurately and promptly. By the end of year 3, we expect children to build on their multiplication knowledge from year two and recall multiplication facts for the four and eight times tables as well as the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times table.

When it comes to times tables, speed and accuracy are important. Children here at Howley, have access to Times Tables Rock Stars. They can access this via, Times Tables Rock Stars (ttrockstars.com) and can log in using their individual log ins, given by class teachers. TT Rockstars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice used to support children’s accuracy and prompt recall of multiplication facts. The times tables are the basis of maths, if children know these, they will find the all other mathematical concepts much easier to grasp. Children are encouraged to access this resource both inside and outside school. Through this online resource, children develop their maths knowledge in a fun and exciting way. We recommend a “little and often” approach; 3 minutes a day, 4 or 5 times a week is a good target. Please see the TT Rockstars Parent Guide for further support with using TT Rockstars at home.

Towards the end of the academic year, children in year four will complete the Multiplication Tables Check. The online check will test the children on their multiplication tables up to 12 x 12. There are twenty-five questions in total and the children will have six seconds to answer each question, there will be three seconds between questions. 

White Rose Maths understand that many parents feel like maths has changed and that parents can sometimes find it difficult to keep up to date with modern teaching methods in maths. To help with this, White Rose Maths have teamed up with TV presenter, teacher and parent Michael Underwood. By following the link below, you will have access to the short episodes that will introduce place value, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and algebra.

Maths with Michael | White Rose Maths

While it is very important to support your child with their Maths at home, remember these tips from White Rose Maths:

• Understanding each small step is the path to your child’s success and rushing ahead simply doesn’t work, therefore please try not to hurry through the curriculum.
• If your child is struggling with particular topics, try looking instead at work on the same topics from earlier in the year or a previous year. This will help to plug any learning gaps and make sure your child understands the topic more clearly.
• Use the White Rose Maths parent workbooks to identify where your child might be struggling. There is a workbook for every block at primary level. You can find these by clicking the link below:

Parent Workbooks | White Rose Maths

• If your child is finding maths easy, have a go at some of the White Rose Maths problem solving activities or bar modelling problems. These are great exercises for stretching children’s minds and building new skills and insights!

At the end of every term each class teacher chooses one pupil to be named their classes "Marvellous Mathematician." This could be for impressing them with their maths skills, showing great effort in maths or for generally making superb progress. They then have their photo displayed on our wall of fame in the corridor for the whole school to celebrate.