Our Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement
Mathematics is all around our children and underpins many aspects of their everyday activities, from making sense of a recipe while cooking to reading the numbers on a passing bus.
A good understanding of basic mathematics is essential, and at Holbeach time is devoted to acquiring a strong foundation in Maths. We aim for children to become mathematically observant; deepen children’s conceptual understanding; develop their ability to use maths in meaningful ways; and promote positive attitudes to Maths.
At Holbeach we follow the Mastering Number project in Reception and KS1. The project aims to develop good number sense and fluency in calculation through short whole class sessions. You can watch a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cKoZiLI2WI.
Efficient, accurate recall of key number facts and procedures is essential for fluency, freeing pupils’ minds to think deeply about concepts and problems, but fluency demands more than this. It requires pupils to have the flexibility to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics, to recognise relationships and make connections, to explain their ideas and to choose appropriate methods and strategies to solve problems. In Years 1-5 we follow the Maths No Problem scheme which is approved by The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) and which met the criteria of a high quality textbook drawn up by an expert panel from the Department of Education (DFE). You can watch a video here: https://vimeo.com/463151280/b1247b0ee1
The Maths No Problem curriculum follows the Five Big Ideas of Maths Mastery(NCETM), all informed by research evidence and classroom experience.
The scheme aims to build concepts progressively, ensuring deep understanding. It allows students to master new concepts whilst building upon previously learned skills. As a result, students develop a strong foundation in maths, leading to increased confidence and improved problem-solving abilities. We aim to empower young people to achieve their potential; to use mathematical language to talk. We aim to deepen subject knowledge rather than accelerate it.
'Mathematical Thinking' is central to how pupils learn mathematics at Holbeach and includes looking for patterns and relationships, making connections, conjecturing, reasoning, and generalising. Pupils actively engage in mathematical thinking in all lessons, discussing and communicating their ideas using precise mathematical language.
We use a variety of representations and structures to develop understanding. The intention is to support pupils in ‘seeing’ the mathematics, rather than using the representation as a tool to ‘do’ the mathematics. These representations become mental images that students can use to think about and discuss mathematics, supporting them to achieve a deep understanding of mathematical structures and connections.
At Holbeach, we use the CPA approach to develop mathematical understanding.
The Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach (CPA) is a highly effective approach to teaching that develops a deep and sustainable understanding of maths in pupils. It is an essential technique within the Singapore method of teaching maths for mastery.
The CPA approach builds on children’s existing knowledge by introducing abstract concepts in a concrete and tangible way. It involves moving from concrete materials, to pictorial representations, to abstract symbols and problems.
Concrete is the “doing” stage. During this stage, students use concrete objects to model problems. Unlike traditional maths teaching methods where teachers demonstrate how to solve a problem, the CPA approach brings concepts to life by allowing children to experience and handle physical (concrete) objects. With the CPA framework, every abstract concept is first introduced using physical, interactive concrete materials.
For example, if a problem involves adding pieces of fruit, children can first handle actual fruit. From there, they can progress to handling abstract counters or cubes which represent the fruit.
Pictorial is the “seeing” stage. Here, visual representations of concrete objects are used to model problems. This stage encourages children to make a mental connection between the physical object they just handled and the abstract pictures, diagrams or models that represent the objects from the problem.
Building or drawing a model makes it easier for children to grasp difficult abstract concepts (for example, fractions). Simply put, it helps students visualise abstract problems and make them more accessible.
Abstract is the “symbolic” stage, where children use abstract symbols to model problems. Students will not progress to this stage until they have demonstrated that they have a solid understanding of the concrete and pictorial stages of the problem. The abstract stage involves the teacher introducing abstract concepts (for example, mathematical symbols). Children are introduced to the concept at a symbolic level, using only numbers, notation, and mathematical symbols (for example, +, –, x, /) to indicate addition, multiplication or division.
What are the expectations for your child in Maths?
The teaching of Maths has changed a lot over the years and we are aware that your child will be learning in very different ways to how you were taught at school!
We have produced a ‘Parents Guide to Maths’ for each year group, outlining the expectations for the year, what they will be taught and how you can support their understanding at home.
The leaflet covers all the areas of Maths, with examples and diagrams to help you. You can download the leaflets for all the year groups below.