Mathematics
What is Mathematics?
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes number, formulas, structure, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained.
Without mathematics, there's nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.
At Leagrave pupils develop:
- A positive attitude towards mathematics and an awareness of the fascination of mathematics
- Competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge, concepts and skills
- An ability to solve problems, to reason, to think logically, and to work systematically and accurately
- Initiative and an ability to work both independently and in cooperation with others
- An ability to communicate mathematically, by hypothesising, reasoning, justifying and generalising
- An ability to use and apply mathematics across the curriculum and in real life
- An understanding of mathematics through a process of enquiry and experimentation
Early Years
The teaching of mathematics in the Early Years is called Mathematic Development (numbers and numerical patterns). At Leagrave Primary School, we believe It is vital to lay secure foundations in early mathematics. This is why it is taught in a purposeful, practical way and children use play and exploration to acquire mathematical skills. An interest in mathematics and problem solving will be encouraged through mathematics games and fun activities whilst exploring and talking about mathematics in the world around them.
Key Stage One
The principle focus of mathematics teaching in Key Stage One is to ensure that children develop confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. This involves working with numerals, words and the four (+, -, x, ÷) operations. At this stage, children develop their ability to recognise, describe, draw, compare and sort different shapes and use the related vocabulary. Teaching also involves using a range of measures to describe and compare different quantities such as length, mass, capacity/volume, time and money. By the end of year 2, children should know the number facts to 20 and be precise in using and understanding place value.
Key Stage Two
All pupils in Key Stage Two extend their understanding of the number system and place value to include larger integers. This develops the connections that pupils make between multiplication and division with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio.
Times tables knowledge has always been important but is identified as a key area in the new curriculum. With pupils now expected to know all their times table facts up to 12×12 by the end of Year 4, pupils develop their ability to solve a wider range of problems, including increasingly complex properties of numbers and arithmetic, and problems demanding efficient written and mental methods of calculation. With this foundation in arithmetic, pupils are introduced to the language of algebra as a means for solving a variety of problems.
By the end of Key Stage Two, pupils should be fluent in written methods, including long multiplication and division, and in working with the wider mathematic curriculum.