At Hester’s Way Primary School, we follow a mastery approach and aim to produce well-rounded mathematicians, who have positive growth mindsets. The school values are linked closely to mastery maths sessions, to motivate and encourage our learners to have: perseverance, confidence, resilience, determination, pride and independence.

Our underlying beliefs, are that all children can succeed. Children are seated as mixed ability and there is a daily expectation that any child should be able to work through the teaching and learning sequence. Teaching staff then use assessments to move the learning on and support those who need it.

The White Rose Maths programme (https://whiterosemaths.com/) and other resources are used to aid planning and maintain full coverage of the maths curriculum. White Rose Maths follows the National Curriculum and ensures progression across the school and within year groups. Annual, long-term planning is broken down into medium term units, with smaller steps in maths conceptual learning. In lessons, the children are taught the key learning point through a visual, sequenced power-point, which carefully goes through the steps in learning. This ensures that acquired knowledge and understanding can then be built upon.

We use progressive calculation policies and a variety concrete manipulatives and resources, to support pupil’s learning. The lesson sequence is followed: “Do it” learning the main concept; “Twist it” provides opportunity to reason and apply variants; “Deepen it” is a problem-solving challenge, for pupils to apply their learning. Number Sense sessions focus on fluency and further practice of learnt skills in number and the four operations, as well as closing any gaps.

Maths is also taught, used and applied in other areas of the curriculum, such as geography and science, to enhance and apply the children’s skills, making learning purposeful. Every maths unit starts with a knowledge organiser that contains the key vocabulary, mathematical models and images that the children will need to succeed.

Through our school vision the children are encouraged to aspire and are reminded of those career paths and jobs needing maths qualifications and skills. Maths independent home learning and practise takes place in the form of NumBots

(https://play.numbots.com/#/account/school-login/17125)

or Times Table Rock Stars (https://ttrockstars.com/) to sharpen up fluency skills and times table knowledge.