Maths Curriculum

At Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary School, we are committed to developing confident, independent learners who enjoy engaging with mathematical concepts. We believe that every child can succeed in mathematics through a nurturing and inclusive approach, with teaching that is tailored to meet the diverse needs of all our students.

Our curriculum is designed to empower children to understand the world around them by equipping them with the skills to calculate, reason, and solve problems effectively. We use the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach to learning, ensuring that students can build strong foundations through hands-on experiences and clear visual models. This approach supports them in making meaningful connections between concrete experiences and abstract mathematical ideas.

We strive to create an environment where children:

• Develop a positive attitude towards mathematics and enjoy the challenge it brings.

• Feel confident to explore, take risks, and discover new strategies for problem-solving.

• Grow into life-long learners who are numerate, adaptable, and capable of applying their mathematical skills to real-world situations.

By the time our students leave Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary School, we aim for them to have a deep-rooted understanding and appreciation of mathematics, ready to face new challenges with confidence.

At Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary School, we strongly believe that the mastery approach is the most effective way for our children to learn mathematics. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils progress through the content at the same pace, allowing for a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. This depth of study provides our higher-achieving learners with opportunities to explore more complex ideas and make connections both within and across different topics. We promote a curriculum that allows for a depth of learning as opposed to acceleration, ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, receives age-appropriate teaching that challenges and supports their learning.

In line with our Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach, we ensure that children have constant access to a range of high-quality manipulatives. This hands-on approach allows them to explore and demonstrate their understanding in a concrete way, reinforcing our intent to create independent learners. By having the freedom to choose and use these manipulatives, our pupils become more confident in exploring mathematical ideas and building their own strategies for problem-solving.

We follow the DFE-approved White Rose Maths scheme of work, which provides a strong framework for our bespoke curriculum. Teachers adapt their input for the needs of their class. This is further enriched with additional high-quality resources, including NCETM, to ensure our teaching is varied, engaging, and meets the needs of our pupils.

we ensure that children are given frequent opportunities to revisit and build upon prior learning quickly and efficiently. This approach helps to reinforce key concepts and address any gaps in understanding.

We achieve this through the following methods:

• Revisiting of prior learning: Low-stakes assessment at the beginning of lesson allows children to revisit previous learning and allows teachers to pinpoint any misconceptions and adjust instruction accordingly.

• Key Lesson Support Document: This resource maps out key learning from prior year groups and links it to the current topic, helping pupils build connections and consolidate their understanding.

• Formative Assessment: Continuous assessment during each lesson informs future planning, enabling teachers to address misconceptions in real time and provide targeted support where needed.

Our approach to delivering White Rose Maths follows a consistent, structured pathway from Reception through to Year 6. This clear and coherent framework ensures that pupils thrive as they progress through their mathematical journey.

Although our approach is bespoke to the needs of our pupils, the delivery of mathematics is rooted in ‘The Five Big Ideas’ published by the National Centre for the Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCTEM), which are:

1. Representation and Structure

2. Mathematical Thinking

3. Fluency

4. Variation

5. Coherence

These core principles guide our teaching and provide a solid foundation for pupils to develop a deep, lasting understanding of mathematics.

Coherence Lessons are broken down into small, connected steps that gradually unfold the concept, providing access for all children and leading to a generalisation of the concept and the ability to apply the concept to a range of contexts.

Representation and Structure Representations used in lessons are used to support the children in building up mathematical understanding and allowing them to apply their learning to a range of contexts and models. The overall aim is that children will eventually (when they are ready) use abstract ideas to solve their maths.

Mathematical Thinking Children need to work hard to develop an understanding through reasoning, discussing with others, explaining their thinking and trying out new things.

Fluency Quick and efficient recall of facts and procedures will ensure that children are not hindered by simple mathematical knowledge such as times tables and bonds of numbers.

Variation

Variation is twofold. It is firstly about how the teacher represents the concept being taught, often in more than one way, to draw attention to critical aspects, and to develop a deep and holistic understanding. It is also about the sequencing of the episodes, activities and exercises used within a lesson and follow-up practice, paying attention to what is kept the same and what changes, to connect the mathematics and drawing attention to mathematical relationships and structure.

At Dawen Aldridge Sudell Primary School, we believe that assessment is a fundamental aspect of delivering effective mathematics teaching that supports the success of all our pupils. Through a combination of summative and formative assessments, we can track pupil progress, identify gaps in learning, and ensure that our teaching meets the needs of each child.

We use a range of assessment methods, including:

Summative Assessments:

• Daily topic-based low-stakes assessments

• PUMA Summative Assessment Tests for Years 1-5

• Identifying misconceptions through marking and using feedback to adjust future planning

• Key Learning Indicator Assessment completed by staff for each pupil

Formative Assessments:

• Daily Flashback 4, marked by the class teacher, to identify misconceptions

• Class discussion and verbal feedback

• Use of concrete manipulatives to demonstrate understanding

These assessments inform a variety of key processes, including:

• Pupil Progress Meetings.

• Reporting to parents.

At Darwen Aldridge Sudell Primary School, we take pride in ensuring that every child enjoys mathematics. Our lessons are inclusive, engaging, and designed to make learning both enjoyable and meaningful. We aim for our pupils to be fluent in fundamental mathematical skills, confident in reasoning mathematically, and capable of solving problems in multiple ways. We aim to foster confidence in our pupils' oracy skills, enabling them to explore and discuss mathematical concepts with clarity. From Year 1, we place a strong emphasis on explicitly teaching mathematical vocabulary and encourage the use of a range of sentence stems to support children in verbalising their understanding. This approach not only strengthens their mathematical communication but also deepens their overall comprehension of key concepts. Furthermore, it promotes a culture of inclusivity where all pupils are involved.

The impact of our approach is measured through a comprehensive monitoring system that includes:

• Learning walks

• Lesson observations and feedback half termly IRIS videos.

• Book looks

• Pupil voice conversations

• Staff meetings, training, and discussions

• Half-termly data reviews

Through ongoing evaluation and reflection of our teaching practices, we ensure that our mathematics curriculum remains dynamic and responsive to the diverse needs of all pupils. This continuous process of assessment and refinement ensures that pupils not only make steady progress in mathematics but also develop a profound understanding of key concepts, fostering a lasting positive attitude towards the subject.

The National Curriculum guidance is always our starting point when planning our curriculum. This guidance from the Department of Education sets out clear aims and course content for each subject.

We ensure we cover each aspect of this, then apply it to our own Curriculum approach.

Mathematics programmes of study: Key Stages 1 and 2.

Throughout our curriculum we believe in a subject specific teaching approach. The exact units to be taught are identified on our subject curriculum maps. Our curriculum maps help ensure there is a clear progression of knowledge and skills underpinning the learning experiences of children

Primary Maths Curriculum Map