Our Intent

Mathematics is an inter-connected and highly creative subject that has been developed over centuries, providing solutions to some of the world’s most interesting problems. What made Archimedes shout ‘Eureka’? How did NASA land astronauts on the moon? How do aeroplanes stay in flight? How did Einstein predict the existence of Black Holes? The answer is Maths!

The National Curriculum for Maths aims to ensure that all children:

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics
• Are able to reason mathematically
• Can solve problems by applying their Mathematics

At St. John’s, these skills are embedded within daily Maths lessons and are developed consistently year on year. Maths is a universal language and a secure understanding of the subject is essential for a deeper understanding of, and success in, other curriculum areas and in life. 

With further education and future careers in mind, we are committed to ensuring that children can recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world and that they are able to use their mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in their lives in a range of different contexts. 

We want all children to enjoy Mathematics and to experience success. We are committed to developing children’s curiosity as well as an appreciation of the beauty and power of Mathematics.

Implementation

Using the White Rose progression sequence, our teachers plan and deliver mathematically rich and supportive lessons. Each lesson provides opportunities for our pupils to intelligently practise, retrieve, refine and apply their mathematical knowledge. 

Our Maths curriculum is designed to help pupils remember more and therefore reducing cognitive load, enabling them to learn and apply new concepts quickly. Maths lessons start with daily counting and quick recall to keep basic skills sharp.  

We all learn together… 

At St. John’s, where possible, the whole class moves through topics and concepts at broadly the same pace. We spend longer on key mathematical topics and concepts in order to give all learners both the practice and depth of understanding they need. We promote a ‘can do’ attitude and believe there is nobody who ‘can’t do Maths’. 

We challenge pupils by asking them to explore mathematical concepts in more depth rather than accelerate them onto new content. This has been found to have real benefits to children’s ability to access more complex mathematical ideas as they get older. 

We learn deeply… 

We give our pupils enough time to explore core concepts and ideas in mathematics at a deep level in order to foster their understanding. This slower pace and focus on depth eventually leads to greater progress because it gives all learners the chance to become secure. As a result, each year we are able to build new learning onto children’s existing knowledge. 

We use representations… 

At St. John’s we use the concrete-pictorial-abstract method to teach Maths. This allows them to access and understand the mathematical structure of the concepts they are learning about. Through the consistent use of these apparatus and representation, our pupils gain confidence as independent learners to use resources and solve problems. 

To see Maths in practice at St. John’s, scroll down!