We use the concrete, pictorial, abstract approach, allowing pupils plenty of time with objects and manipulatives to build their understanding of a concept, looking at the why and how initially. Building to pictorial representations to aid pupils' reasoning and problems-solving before moving onto abstract methods for more complex calculations.
Maths planning is set out as small sequential steps necessary for a deep and lasting understanding. These steps are taken at the necessary pace of the class, teachers will use their judgement and only move on when they are confident that pupils have grasped the small step. We believe these small steps will avoid cognitive overload and help us to cover the depth necessary for a greater understanding.
Our maths lessons also show the connections or links between topics that are necessary for understanding and building on key skills that are essential for fluency, reasoning and problem solving. We encourage pupils to ask, ‘What do I know already?’ before tackling any problem and look for efficient methods of calculations, as well as, being able to check their own work and prove their thinking.
Fluency, reasoning and problem-solving should be an integrated part of every lesson. Allowing plenty of time for children to talk and explain their thinking. Pupils need to be aware that the journey in maths is the most important, the process and strategies used to solve a problem, drawing on known facts. It is not always essential to find a solution or, on occasions, many solutions may be possible.
Maths helps us in the everyday world but also allows us to describe, investigate, create, reason and explain.