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. It enables children to understand and appreciate relationships and pattern in both number and space in their everyday lives. At Hillary Primary, we use White Rose Maths materials to plan and teach the National Curriculum objectives. We follow a long-term plan, which allows the children to re-visit objectives as well as building on new objectives for each area each term

Through our maths lessons at Hillary Primary it is our aim to develop:

• Enjoyment and enthusiasm for mathematics and an awareness of the fascination of mathematics.
• Confidence and fluency in mathematical knowledge, concepts and skills.
• An ability to use and apply mathematics across the curriculum and in real life.
• An ability to solve problems, by applying their skills to a variety of routine and non-routine problems. To reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately.
• An ability to reason mathematically and explain relationships using mathematical language.
• An understanding of mathematics through a process of enquiry and experiment.
• Initiative and an ability to work both independently and in cooperation with others.

The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in Maths lessons. Our principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in Maths and we do this by using the CPA (Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract) approach. We have a daily Maths lesson where children are given opportunities for:

• Practical activities and mathematical games
• Problem solving
• Open and closed tasks
• Individual, group and whole class discussions and activities
• A range of methods for calculating e.g. mental, informal, formal
• Using a wide range of concrete equipment to support e.g. Base 10, Numicon, place value counters, number squares, digit cards, number lines and lots more
• Using and applying their learning in everyday situation

At Hillary Primary, we are fortunate enough to have a Maths specialist teacher who works both alongside staff and with groups of children across our school for 2 days a week to raise attainment in Maths.