Maths

The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics.—Paul Halmos

At Furzedown School we want all of our children to have a genuine love of mathematics. We help them to develop a solid understanding of number through engaging activities, well-structured lessons and high-quality teaching. We want to inspire all children to have a life-long love of maths, and equip them with the tools to be effective problem-solvers. 

Early Years

In Nursery and Reception, children are developing their early number sense through talk and play. Our learning environments encourage children to explore relationships between numbers. They count and compare objects and understand how numbers can be composed from other smaller numbers. Children have lots of opportunities for measuring, finding patterns and manipulating shapes. By the time they enter Year 1, children should have the firm foundation needed to move on successfully with their mathematical understanding. 

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

All the children in each year group cover the maths curriculum at broadly the same speed. When they are confident with a topic, children have challenges and problem-solving tasks which deepen their understanding and develop their independence and resilience. For those who need extra support, learning is tailored to help consolidate understanding. We use a range of manipulatives and visual models to help children of all abilities. They use this equipment to construct an understanding of abstract ideas and explain their thinking. 

Our Approach

We follow the White Rose Maths learning scheme. This ensures well-structured progression throughout the school, which supports children’s understanding by building on prior learning effectively. It adopts a Mastery approach, where pupils acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of maths.  

Our main maths scheme is supplemented with high-quality materials from the NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics). This way, we can give our pupils access to excellent explanations and deepen their understanding through challenging tasks. Children also undertake interesting investigations. These provide meaningful opportunities for children to apply their maths knowledge, as well as developing resilience, reasoning and communication skills.  

We know that mathematical fluency is key to success in the subject. We help all children to learn number bonds and times tables, as this allows them to become more confident when manipulating numbers mentally. We very much value the contribution that parents and carers make in supporting their child.  

Children use this fluency to further develop strong reasoning skills, giving them the tools to approach challenging problems with more confidence. The resources we use provide engaging activities which encourage children to collaborate and talk through their reasoning. 

Through our topic-based learning, children are empowered to follow their own natural curiosity. They are able to make connections with real-life contexts, noticing patterns and seeing relationships. Children transfer their maths skills across to other subjects, particularly science, meaning they understand the importance of maths and value what they are learning.  

The life skills that children learn through maths, open doors to countless future opportunities.

Maths Curriculum Overview

math curriculum overview 2022 2023 .pdf