Our aim at St Michael’s is to ensure that our children enjoy their learning in Maths, see the purpose behind it and have the necessary skills to allow them to problem solve. We teach maths skills from Reception through to Year 6.

Children from years 1 to 6 have a Maths lesson every morning with links made through other subjects of the curriculum too. Children in Early Years have a range of maths opportunities set up for the children in their environment that they will access through their play.

During Maths lessons, we aim to provide children with the skills to allow them to develop fluency with number as well as being able to problem solve and reason. It is important that our children make cross curricular links and see how ‘maths’ and numbers are used in their everyday lives as this gives the children purpose to their maths learning. 

We think it is vital that children have opportunities to use practical maths equipment to help secure their understanding of new concepts. Throughout the school, the children have access to equipment, which helps children ‘see’ the maths skill that is being taught. From this, we may show children how to use drawings or pictures before moving them onto numerical recordings. This allows children to have a bank of tools and resources to support them in solving open problems and investigations.

Another part of Maths that is vitally important is the language that goes with the processes. We teach our children to use the correct mathematical vocabulary to explain their workings out and thinking. By using the practical resources, it helps with children’s understanding and, in turn, to explain their thinking clearly.