A progressive and engaging mastery maths curriculum, following the Power Maths scheme, enables children to delight in using mathematics to solve problems, especially when it leads them to an unexpected discovery or new connections. As their confidence grows, they look for patterns, use logical reasoning, suggest solutions and try out different approaches to problems.
A multi-faceted, mastery approach to the curriculum where fluency, reasoning and problem solving are taught as interwoven concepts rather than individual strands, enables children to develop a deep understanding of maths that serves as ample preparation for their continued learning journey. Power Maths develops a Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach by allowing the children to ‘hook’ their mathematical thinking onto a concrete representation.
With so many of the children starting school having not experienced the early mathematical exploration they need, this concrete approach allows them to delve into maths in a practical, hands-on way and encourages a strong mathematical curiosity. This progressive approach builds to the use of a pictorial representation and culminates in applying what has been learnt to abstract problems, altogether creating confident mathematicians; essentially, they will know more, remember more and understand more about maths. Ensuring that the children experience maths in a cross-curricular context makes certain that they start to discover how mathematics has developed over time and contributes to our economy, society and culture. Studying mathematics stimulates curiosity, fosters creativity and equips children with the skills they need in life beyond school.
How does Power Maths work?
Each Maths lesson is divided into evidence-based sections and set out clearly in the textbooks. Lessons are busy and interactive with children working independently, in pairs, in groups and as a class.
The lesson begins with a fluency task to sustain prior learning, consolidate number facts and develop mathematical thinking.
Next, children share, explore and learn from a Discover problem, presented with some focused questions to guide their thinking. Through paired and group discussions, the children will present different ideas for how to tackle the problem and then work together to find a solution.
The lesson then moves into a Think Together section. It begins with a teacher-guided question followed by a problem for children to solve in collaboration with a partner, and finally an independent question. It develops the concrete problem through the pictorial and abstract stages and there is clear progression within each lesson.
The Think Together section has the added benefit of allowing children to work through varied mathematical problems. Children can often solve mathematical equations when presented in a recognised form, such as ”3 x 5 = 15”, but Power Maths teaches them to be able to ‘pull out’ the calculation needed from word problems and then to consider different approaches they could take, focusing continuously on improving efficiency as mathematicians. This section allows the children to see a variety of models to support their understanding of the maths they are doing and the first few questions in their independent work will use similar models to reinforce their understanding.
In the Practice section, children use Practice Books to apply and rehearse what they’ve learned. The carefully varied questions help children to understand the essential features of each concept and build their fluency. The questions become progressively more challenging as they work through the section for each lesson, finishing with a challenge question at the end. This allows all students to achieve, whether they focus on the earlier questions which are structure in the same way as the modelled examples in the lesson, or whether they work through to complete the challenge at the end.
Finally, a Reflect section brings each lesson to a conclusion. The reflect question is designed to help the children summarise the key learning for the lesson. This might be done through whole class discussion, partner talk or recording their own individual thoughts.
Our Curriculum
Alongside following the Power Maths scheme, here at OLOTA, we have carefully considered what we want maths learning to look like for our children.
Children at OLOTA will be able to:
- Use manipulatives to enhance their ability to solve problems.
- Persevere at mathematical challenges.
- Calculate competently using all four number operations.
- Understand and use age appropriate mathematical vocabulary.
- Apply their maths knowledge to find the most efficient method to complete reasoning tasks.
- Explain how they solved a problem as well as why and how it was successful.
- Know their times tables up to and beyond 12x including associated division facts.
This will be achieved by taking on board the following pedagogical approach to the teaching of maths.
- Explicitly modelling strategies and methods
- Using a CPA progressive approach
- Providing continual positive verbal feedback
- Recapping on prior learning and providing opportunities for repetition of new skills
- Using growth mindset language in all maths lessons
- Providing prompts, modelled examples and other resources to help reduce cognitive load
- Using assessment to identify gaps and address these through pre-teaching or same day intervention
Assessment & Feedback
Where possible, we use live marking and verbal feedback in all maths lessons as it provides the greatest impact to learning. Conferencing or same-day / next-day interventions can be carried out by the teacher or a TA when a child has really misunderstood a concept. This allows the children to access the learning feeling more confident in the following lesson. End of unit Power Maths progress tests are used to give the children the opportunity to practise more formal assessment methods in maths. These will form part of teacher assessment and can be used to identify gaps in knowledge on an individual and whole class level. Bespoke ‘key area assessments’ which are carried out termly, also inform teacher assessment and guide areas to focus on in fluency sessions as well as highlighting children who might benefit from additional intervention. This ‘package’ of marking and assessment alongside termly maths progress meetings held with the Maths Lead, allows all teachers to have an excellent understanding of where the children are in their maths learning and what additional support they may need to achieve their maths potential.
Learning Environment
Maths working walls can be seen in all classes. The working wall’s have a 2-fold purpose. Using characters from the Power Maths scheme, the children are reminded about having a positive growth mindset in maths and are encouraged to work as a team, bringing different strengths to the maths lessons that they can share with each other. They also provide models of calculations, aide memoires or key vocabulary that can be referred to support independent learning.
Progressive sentence stems are displayed around the working wall; teachers will model the use of these and children are encouraged to use them when they are explaining their mathematical thinking. A selection of maths manipulatives can be found alongside the working walls. The children are taught how to use the manipulatives to support and extend their learning. Teacher’s model how to do this in the earlier years and the children are encouraged to become more independent in selecting and using manipulatives as they move into KS2.
Fluency
In addition to their daily maths lessons, all children at OLOTA participate in fluency sessions. These sessions are carefully planned to embed key mathematical skills, to overlearn basic concepts and to practise concepts key to mathematical development e.g. calculation skills. In EY / KS1 the children follow the Mastering Number programme (designed and written by the NCETM) which develops their number sense and fluency. These materials can then be continued into Year 3, where children may require additional support to embed their knowledge of number.
In Y3 and Y4, the fluency sessions predominantly focus on times tables. The children carry out short-burst practise sessions where they focus on one table at a time, they start with the early calculations in order, then all of them in order, then all of them in a mixed order and finally with some inverse problems too. This allows them to really embed their knowledge of the tables and improves recall. The children will also regularly access Times Table Rockstars to practise and improve recall speed.
In Y5 and Y6, the fluency sessions focus on the key skills the children need to be able to access the KS2 maths SATS papers at the end of Y6. Focusing on calculating (all four operations), fractions, decimals and percentages allows the children to become confident in finding efficient methods of working, checking their work and having a range of strategies that they will be able to take with them into the more challenging secondary maths curriculum.
Knowledge organisers
Knowledge organisers are provided for every topic in maths in all classes from Y1-Y6. They provide children with key vocabulary, key information as well as modelled examples to support their learning. In the younger years, teachers will model how to use the knowledge organisers, particularly during guided group work. As the children progress into KS2, they all have knowledge organisers which they use as a ‘bookmark’ in their Power Maths books and are encouraged to use them to help with independent learning.
Mastering Number
All children across EYFS and KS1 take part in a daily 15-minute Mastering Number session as part of a programme published by the NCETM. This scheme aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2 by focusing on the key knowledge and understanding needed to progress through KS1. The resources provided are designed to develop children’s fluency and flexibility with number.
Times tables
Knowledge of times tables is key to many different aspects of the maths curriculum. In Y4 the children participate in the multiplication tables check (MTC), which is statutory for all year 4 pupils. The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will help schools to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables, so that additional support can be provided. As mentioned above, the children are supported in preparing for this through a series of bespoke fluency sessions, practising on Times Table Rockstars and through their Power Maths lessons too.
Active Learn
All children at OLOTA are assigned an ‘Active Learn’ account which provides them with access to online games and lessons running alongside the Power Maths scheme. The children can watch teaching videos that recap on what they have been learning in class and then complete questions, which are designed to mirror those in their Power Maths books. This allows the children to recap on previous learning, over learn new or more complex concepts and really embed maths knowledge and skills.
In Reception, the children will be introduced to numbers and counting and will start to use basic mathematical language. Teachers will carefully plan maths games and activities to develop the children’s interest in maths and encourage early problem- solving skills. Much of their learning will come from exploring and talking about maths in the world around them; they will apply what they are learning during short bursts of whole class teaching within their continuous provision activities.
In Year 1, the children will continue to develop their counting and calculation skills. They will also gain an understanding of halves and quarters, start to measure and tell the time, and learn about some 2D and 3D shapes. They will be taught to count forwards and backwards to 100, add and subtract numbers to 20, and be introduced to the idea of multiplying and dividing. They will be encouraged to use objects to help them solve simple problems in a practical way.
In Year 2, the children will continue to develop their counting and calculation skills, learning different ways to multiply and divide. They will also extend their understanding of fractions including how to find simple fractions of quantities and shapes. They’ll partition numbers into 10s and 1s to add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers. They will be taught the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. They will measure length, weight, volume, temperature, time and money, discover more about 2D and 3D shapes, and begin to learn about statistics.
In Year 4, the children will develop their mental and written calculation skills using larger positive numbers, including adding and subtracting four-digit numbers and multiplying three-digit by one-digit numbers. They will also start to develop calculation skills using fractions. They will meet negative and decimal numbers, as well as some Roman numerals. They will convert between units of measurement, find perimeters and areas, and learn more about angles and symmetry. They will plot shapes on coordinate grids and start to use timeline graphs. They will know all the times tables up to 12 x 12 and be able to divide by 10 and 100 to give decimal answers. They’ll round numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000, or whole number for decimals.
In Year 5, the children will continue to practise mental and written calculation methods and use all the operations to solve problems. They will meet prime, square and cube numbers, and work with factors and multiples. They will calculate perimeters and areas, draw and measure angles, convert between units of time and learn some imperial measures. They will reflect and translate shapes on coordinate grids and interpret line graphs and timetables. They’ll be taught long multiplication and multiply four-digit by two-digit numbers, then short division for dividing four-digit by one-digit numbers. They’ll begin to multiply fractions, learn more about decimals and be introduced to percentages. They will be able to round numbers up to 1,000,000 to the nearest 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 and 100,000.
In Year 6, your child will apply the maths they already know alongside developing new skills to help solve more complex problems. They will work with numbers up to 10 million and begin to learn about algebra and ratio. They will convert measurements, calculate volumes and learn about circles. They will draw and interpret pie charts and find averages. They’ll be taught long division for dividing four-digit by two-digit numbers. They’ll be able to use brackets in calculations and explain remainders. They’ll learn to multiply and divide with fractions and decimals, and calculate percentages.