“My favourite lesson is Maths because it is fun, challenging and gets you thinking.” Mary 5H
How are Maths Lessons Taught at Mayfield?
Maths Videos
How to Help Your Child at Home
The Maths Co-ordinator
Enrichment
Links
How are Maths Lessons Taught at Mayfield?
Counting Sessions – To develop children’s fluency, short counting sessions take place daily in FS/KS1 and frequently in KS2. Children practise counting forwards and backwards and in steps of different sizes, including fractions and decimals in later years.
Discrete Maths Lessons – Most of the number aspects of the curriculum are taught through discrete Maths lessons. We are working towards a mastery approach to teaching mathematics. This means that we focus on topics, such as place value or addition, for a longer period of time to enable pupils to gain a deeper understanding of the mathematical concepts. Children are given opportunities to develop fluency, reason mathematically and solve problems.
Cross-Curricular Maths – Many aspects of the curriculum, especially Measurement, Geometry and Statistics are taught through a cross-curricular approach. There are particularly strong links with Computing, Science, Geography and Art.
Models and Images – To support children’s conceptual understanding, we use a range of models and images, including Numicon, straws, bead strings, place value counters, number lines, fraction boxes, Dienes’ apparatus.
Speaking and Listening – Children are given frequent opportunities to discuss their mathematical thinking.
Full information about progression in maths skills though the years groups is available in this document: Maths Progression Y1 to Y6
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Maths Videos
Over the next few months, we will be adding some videos to support parents in understanding how we teach maths at Mayfield. The first in this series shows some of the resources we use to help children understand the concept of place value:
This our second video which explains how we learn multiplication at Mayfield:
This is our third video about arrays and grids:
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How to Help Your Child at Home
Maths homework at Mayfield consists of two parts: Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFs) and Maths at Home activities. As with reading homework, the most important thing for parents and carers is to support children’s enthusiasm and enjoyment of Mathematics.
KIRFs – In 2013, we introduced Key Instant Recall Facts as part of the Maths homework policy. There was a noticeable improvement in children’s confidence and fluency with these facts. For September 2014, we have adapted the Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFs) so that they are more closely aligned with the curriculum, with specific half-termly targets for each year group. We expect the majority of children within a year group to be working towards these targets. Children are expected to practise these facts at least three times per week. If your child is struggling to recall facts, please concentrate on a smaller number and practise more frequently.
Maths at Home – Home is an ideal place for children to apply the Maths they have learnt in school to real-life situations. Each week, we ask children to record one example of Maths that they have done at home. This could be done independently or with an adult. Some past examples include: baking cakes; taking photos of arrays; planning a journey; and spotting patterns. More ideas are available here:
Please note: The calculation policy is in the process of being revised for the new curriculum
Helping Your Child With Maths
Mayfield Maths Calculation Leaflet
Our Calculation Guide For Parents contains lots of hints, tips, guidance and ideas for parents to help your children with maths. Calculation Guide for Parents
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The Maths Co-ordinator
Jo Harbour is the Mathematics co-ordinator and oversees the teaching and learning of Maths at Mayfield. Some priorities for this year include:
- supporting teachers in implementing the new curriculum
- developing teachers’ and teaching assistants’ understanding of how to teach fractions
She also works closely with other schools, including Maths co-ordinators at other CB4 schools and the Cambridge Maths Hub (based at Comberton Village College).
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Enrichment
We aim to provide children with rich and exciting Mathematics throughout their Maths lessons at Mayfield. As a school, we are looking at ways of promoting deep learning to challenge all children. We also offer some opportunities for children to engage in Maths beyond the classroom.
Children in Year 5 and 6 participate in the MA Primary Maths Challenge The Mathematical Association Website Teams of children participate in several inter-school Maths challenges. In 2013, we were invited to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford to attend the final of the Cambridgeshire Year 5 Maths Challenge. In the past, we have organised Maths Days, although we are now focusing on providing engaging and diverse opportunities for problem-solving throughout the Maths curriculum. Many children in Years 4, 5 and 6 participated in an after-school Maths club last academic year. They tackled challenging problems and enjoyed a visit from Professor Imre Leader.
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Links
There are loads of great internet sites for children to practise their Maths skills. Please let Miss Harbour know if you know of any that should be added to this list.
An interesting article from the BBC website: Why Parents Can’t Do Maths Today Please note that at Mayfield we add up chunks of the divisor as this is easier for children than subtracting. We also use jottings first to think about the divisor and large chunks ( x10,x20, x40 etc) and then jump up from 0 to the target number on a number line
Times Tables Rockstars – for KS2 pupils
BBC Website – good for everything – cbeebies, bitesize, schools etc.
A Maths Dictionary for Kids – very good for looking up maths words etc
Maths is Fun – fun games and explanations of mathematical concepts
Mr Nussbaum – good games and fun maths
Enrich Maths – a great resource for mathematical activities
Count On – good maths games
Sub Tangent – maths games and investigations
Fun Brain – fun maths games
Murderous Maths – a really jolly maths website, great ideas.