Maths

At The Linden Academy, we believe it is never too early to explore numbers. In order to ensure that all content is covered from the New National Curriculum, the school uses White Rose Maths Hub for yearly and medium-term plans, as well as mastery content. This is then adapted where necessary to suit each learner's needs. This will often be paired or individual work for children, following the whole-class teaching.

We believe it is never too early to explore numbers. Real life often provides the best opportunities to develop early maths skills like counting and recognising numbers. We provide learning opportunities through exploration, songs, rhymes and fun activities. We continue to build upon these learning experiences through daily teaching of mastery maths throughout the year phrases. Children have lots of opportunities for revisiting, embedding and extending their knowledge and understanding across the whole of our curriculum. Our aim is to enable every child to achieve success and build on their prior learning so that they can utilise these new skills in all aspects of their future lives.

Subject Aims

Mathematics is important in everyday life. It is integral to all aspects of life and with this in mind, at The Linden Academy, we endeavour to ensure that children develop a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics that will stay with them throughout their lives. It is vital that a positive attitude towards mathematics is encouraged amongst all of our pupils in order to foster confidence and achievement in a skill that is essential in our society.

We aim to provide pupils with a Mathematics curriculum and high-quality teaching to produce individuals who are numerate, creative, independent, inquisitive, enquiring and confident. We also aim to provide a stimulating environment through the use of real-life contexts and adequate resources so that pupils can develop their Mathematical skills to the full.

Subject Content

Our pupils should:

• Have a well-developed sense of the size of a number and where it fits into the number system.
• Know by heart, age appropriate number facts such as number bonds, multiplication tables, doubles and halves.
• Use what they know by heart, to figure out numbers mentally.
• Calculate accurately and efficiently, both mentally and on writing and paper, drawing on a range of calculation strategies.
• Recognise when it is appropriate to use a calculator and be able to do so effectively.
• Make sense of a number of problems, including non-routine/’real’ problems, and identify the operations needed to solve them.
• Explain their methods and reasoning, using correct mathematical terms.
• Judge whether their answers are reasonable and have strategies for checking them where necessary.
• Suggest suitable units for measuring and making sensible estimates of measurements.
• Explain and make predictions from the numbers in graphs, diagrams, charts and tables.
• Develop spatial awareness and an understanding of the properties of 2d and 3d shapes.

Focused on the key concepts of belonging, choice and influence, and supported by the study of significant people and rich stories, the school’s Mathematics curriculum is designed to help pupils develop their sense of self, their aspirations for the future and thereby authentic, individual outcomes. Children are fascinated by people and their stories; the study of significant people brings the key concepts to life.

Key Stage Two students study a significant mathematical profession and discover the story of how the particular Mathematician attained their career. EYFS and Key Stage One staff enhance children's Mathematical thinking and introduce foundational key concepts such as numbers, shapes, patterns, and measurement through the use of books with mathematical concepts woven into the pictures and storylines.