Maths

How we teach Maths at Westfield.

Introduction

Mathematics underpins our daily lives and is becoming even more important in an increasingly technological world. At Westfield, we have adopted the mastery approach to teaching Mathematics to deliver the three aims of the National Curriculum, fluency, reasoning and problem solving.

The Maths Mastery approach of teaching mathematics develops pupils' mathematical ability and confidence and encourages pupils to make connections between concepts, making mathematics more accessible, engaging and fun!

At Westfield, we have high expectations of all our pupils. We endeavour to make the mathematics curriculum accessible to all, moving pupils through the programme of study at broadly the same pace. All children need a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning in order that future learning is built upon firm foundations.

Aim

The aim of Maths Mastery is to raise standards of attainment and progress, and ensure every child achieves their full potential as well as promote self-confidence and resilience in Maths. It focuses on the 5 Big Ideas of Mastery - Representation and Structure; Mathematical Thinking; Variation; Fluency; Coherence (see link below for more information) and allows pupils to acquire 'a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding' of Maths (NCETM).

The 5 Big Ideas

The 5 Big Ideas of Mastery are defined as follows:

Coherence- mathematical concepts are broken down into small steps that gradually allow children to an understanding of a given concept. This is then applied to a range of different concepts.

Representation and Structure- a variety of models and images are used to support the understanding of the concept, the aim that the children will eventually be able to visualise the concept in order to support them when using the concept.

Mathematical Thinking- in order for taught ideas to be understood deeply, they need to be: thought about, reasoned with and discussed with others.

Fluency- Quick and efficient recall of facts and procedures and the flexibility to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics.

Variation- Firstly about how the teacher represents the concept being taught, often in more than one way, to draw attention to the main aspects, and to develop a deep understanding. An example would be exploring a concept using multiple representations to deepen the children’s understanding and underpin mathematical idea. Secondly, it is also about the children practising the concept, paying attention to what remains the same and what changes. This also allows children to develop an understanding of mathematical relationships and structure.