At St. Peter's we believe that Maths is a creative and fun subject where skills should be developed within a climate of trust and experimentation.  We believe that children should become fluent in core skills, developing conceptual knowledge in the objectives outlined within the Maths National Curriculum 2014.  The calculation policy we have devised provides an outline of expectation in the learning of numeracy skills.  These are developed through teaching the links between concepts, rehearsing facts and skills and exploring patterns and relationships with number.  We believe that children learn best where models and images are used alongside the use of practical materials to develop conceptual understanding and fluency of understanding core skills.  By adopting the 'Maths No Problem' scheme of work, we offer real life problem solving as the focused start to every lesson during which all children are encouraged to explore using practical materials, investigate through their own recording and eventually realise efficient methods.

All pupils are expected to learn core facts in school and at home. We ask parents to support children in this important aspect of learning. Each child builds a 'tool kit' of known facts on which to draw during problem solving and reasoning based lessons.

Reasoning takes a high priority and children are encouraged to think deeply about the relationships between facts and concepts.  A climate of experimentation, individual, partner and group work, well timed adult support and questioning develop skills of reasoning which in turn builds tenacity within our mathematicians. Daily challenges within lessons, encourage our children to become increasingly resilient individuals and build their own high expectations to achieve well for themselves. We expect all our children to shine and progress in their mathematical journey. By teaching single age groups and with committed adult support, every lesson builds on from the next and every child builds on their progress daily.

Problem solving  is the ability to apply mathematical understanding to a variety of real life and imaginary situations. The teaching of a range of recording strategies to show understanding is valued.  Children are encouraged to draw pictures or symbols from an early age as they work through problems which then develop into systematic lists in investigations, tables and more formal and efficient calculations by the time children reach the juniors. 

The Key Areas of Learning (shown below) identify the objectives taught within each Year group.  However, the aims to develop fluency of conceptual understanding, reasoning and problem solving are the vehicles through which these objectives are learned.

Here are some links to selection of fantastic Maths websites.

You will find more great activities in the Children's section of our website.  Let us know of any other great sites we can add!

• Doodle maths

• TT Rockstars
  Times Tables Rock Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice.

• Maths Zone

• Fun Brain!
  All kinds of educational games including number

• Puzzle Maker
  A tool for making and customising maths puzzles

• Prodigy maths
  A curriculum-aligned maths game