How do we teach maths?

Over the last five years, the way we teach maths has transformed significantly. We now understand that maths is hierarchical. This means there are essential pieces of knowledge that must be taught first to ensure children have a firm understanding of more complex concepts that will follow.

To address this, we teach in a structured manner. During the first three years, children progress through a scope and sequence designed to align with how children naturally acquire mathematical understanding. We focus on explicit teaching to ensure that children develop a profound sense of number.

The early foundations are built on subitising, which is the ability to recognise an amount instantly without counting. This skill is pivotal and serves as a bridge to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

The fluency in basic facts is crucial for later success, making it a key focus across the entire school. For children in Years 4 to 6, maths continues to be taught in a structured way, employing a scope and sequence along with explicit teaching methods. Teachers utilise resources provided by the government, combined with their excellent understanding of mathematics education, to effectively meet the diverse needs of their classes.

Problem solving remains an important part of what we do, however, we use the instructional hierarchy to ensure children have the fluency needed to successfully attack the problem being presented.

Our approach not only ensures that students build a solid mathematical foundation but also prepares them for the more advanced challenges they will encounter as they progress through their schooling.