Maths
Parent information on Positive norms in Maths
Lets bust those ‘bad at Maths myths’ together!
“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth but supreme beauty” – Bertrand Russell
“Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment.” – National Curriculum
What does Maths at Fieldhead Carr look like?
The maths curriculum at Fieldhead Carr Primary School ensures that our children are given strong foundations to become competent mathematicians. We strive to ensure we facilitate children to embed the skills and processes necessary to enable them to use and apply their maths learning in a variety of contexts. We develop and nurture a love and enjoyment in maths and provide opportunities for children to build a conceptual understanding of maths before applying what they know to everyday problems and challenges. Mastery of maths means a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject.
In line with the National Curriculum we want our children at Fieldhead Carr Primary School to have:
- fluency (rapid and accurate recall and application of facts and concepts)
- a growing confidence to reason mathematically
- the ability to apply maths to solve problems and test hypotheses
Our approach to the teaching of mathematics develops children’s ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team. Through mathematical talk, children will develop the ability to articulate and discuss their thinking through reasoning and problem solving.
Maths Curriculum at Fieldhead Carr Primary School
At Fieldhead Carr Primary School, we recognise that our children need to be confident and fluent across each yearly objective in order for them to progress to deeper and more complex problems. To ensure our pupils acquire this deeper understanding, we follow the White Rose Maths Hub schemes of learning.
The White Rose Maths Hub schemes of learning break down each National Curriculum objective into fluency, reasoning and problem solving and we use the learning challenges to teach for mastery – which extends and deepens the understanding of pupils within each year group. Our teachers also use a range of other high quality resources such as the NCETM to further stretch and challenge all learners within the classroom.
Numberblocks
Numberblocks is an award winning, pre-school BBC television series aimed at introducing children to early number. It has loveable characters combined with engaging storylines to gently introduce concepts of number to support early mathematical understanding. At Fieldhead Carr, our children are introduced the characters in Nursery and they continue their Numberblocks journey throughout FS2. Our teachers use the the NCETM materials to help children to bring the numbers and ideas to life in the world around them.
Take a look at some Numberblocks materials here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/numberblocks Numberblocks – lots of fantastic interactive games for children in their early years to play.
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/resources/52060 Numberblocks episodes – number blocks clips to watch.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p075jwc2/numbersongs Numberblocks songs
Our Calculation Policy
Our Calculation Policy ensures there is consistency as the children grow and develop through their maths journey with us at Fieldhead Carr Primary School.
Vocabulary
Using the right vocabulary is essential. That’s why we ensure whilst in class the vocabulary that the children need to know is clear to see. The words children need to know in a topic start off on a red backing. When they children know them, they then move to green when they have been learnt.
Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFs)
To ensure our children are fluent and confident with their maths facts we have introduced KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts). These are designed to be progressive through each year group and support our children to become secure so they are then able to carry out calculations without the lack of knowledge of those key instant recall facts getting in the way.
How can I help my child with key instant recall facts?
Our Maths team have designed half termly KIRFs for parents and carers which run alongside the KIRFs taught in class. They explain what your child should learn, give examples and offer further ideas you can try to support your child!
There’s no time like the present! Get started here:
Kirf Parent/Carer Help Sheets
Time Table Rock Stars
At Fieldhead Carr, we use Times Table Rockstars for the children to practise their times tables at home and at school. Our children love learning their times tables here at Fieldhead Carr Primary School and we have a special ‘Times Table Rock Star’ assembly each week where children are filled with excitement to showcase their fantastic times table talents to their parents and the rest of their key stage. Take a look at some photos of our fantastic children battling it out!
Other Internet-based Games relating to Times Tables Practice
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button This is a fantastic game which covers learning times tables (hit the answer and hit the questions), division, facts, doubles, halves, number bonds and square numbers.
https://teachingtables.co.uk/ A collection of little games from the Primary Games website.
https://primarygames.co.uk/pg3/mwipe/mwipe.html Burst only the balloons that are multiples of the given table.
World Maths Day
We want children to know that maths is truly magical and there is so much to learn and discover! That’s why we foster our love for maths every day and also even have special days to celebrate too. During our whole school World Maths Day this year, children had many opportunities for problem solving and reasoning and we also had the amazing Problem Solving Company in. We saw some fantastic team problem solving skills from all our wonderful children.
Useful Websites
Children make progress best as mathematicians when they regularly repeat skills and practise them until they become embedded. Here is the list of websites that contain many engaging games that your child can use to embed those key skills.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/numberblocks Numberblocks – lots of fantastic interactive games for children in their early years to play.
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/resources/52060 Numberblocks episodes – number blocks clips to watch.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p075jwc2/numbersongs Numberblocks songs
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games Topmarks – Lots of fun games to play with children of all ages!
https://mathszone.co.uk/ Maths Zone – Another collection of games and activities across the full range of curriculum content, mostly appropriate to our KS2 pupils.
http://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/index.html ICT Games – Various interactive maths games to play