Maths
Maths at Brompton Westbrook
We LOVE maths here!
We use a mastery approach to our maths learning, which means that all of our pupils are taught key concepts around their maths learning and the bed them into their deeper understanding. We work alongside our local Maths Hub partners to develop our practice and skills to ensure that our maths teaching and learning is focused and develops children's long term understanding and recall.
We use the White Rose (https://whiterosemaths.com/) sequence of learning and Third Space Learning (https://thirdspacelearning.com/) planning to support maths in school but this is just the starting point - from here we personalise our pupils' learning and always try to ensure that maths follows our 5 principles of learning (based on research from the Education Endowment Fund and from the Finnish education system) :
- Student Centred Learning (making students active agents in the learning process)
- Deep Understanding and Creative Problem Solving (enabling children to confidently overcome challenging maths)
- Stress-Free Learning (build on passion so that children develop a growth-mind-set and a love of challenge)
- Personalised Learning (customise the learning path for each child on strengths and weaknesses)
- Enabling Staff (Providing staff with the skills they need to deliver a well-considered maths curriculum in a timely and effective way)
Our Sequence of Learning:
Maths Ambassadors
There are 20 student maths ambassadors at Brompton-Westbrook Primary School, with 5 staff ambassadors and some community ambassadors too.
A student maths ambassador supports maths in school. Their roles are to understand key priorities, support development, communicate new ideas with their peers and relay progress.
Ambassadors are recruited when they display a passion for maths, demonstrate responsibility and good communication skills. They meet regularly and are required to perform individual maths tasks. Children share their findings with the relevant people.
Ambassadors believe that all children should be encouraged to be successful mathematicians. For this to happen, Ambassadors reflect on and plan for:
- Student centred learning – all children will be active agents in their learning
- Deep understanding and problem solving – all children will solve problems with confidence and they will be able to explain challenging maths
- Stress-free learning – All children are passionate about maths and want to achieve well
- Personalised learning – Children receive the support that they need to achieve well in maths
- Enabling Staff – Staff have the skills to teach children well in maths.
How does it feel to be a maths ambassador?
I am a maths ambassador. I am very proud of myself because I am good at maths and I like to help other children improve. I know where to get the maths resources to support my friends. Our teachers are already really good at maths and we help them to get even better! We work with children to help them be stress free in maths. I enjoy maths ambassador meetings. We talk about maths and find ways to help other children in school. I enjoy the maths tasks that I am given and I am looking forward to receive more challenges. Also, I really enjoy the TTRockstars competitions and I am keen to find out when we are going to do more of them. (Eleanor, Year 3)
Freckle (https://freckle.com/en-gb/)
We have recently partnered with Rennaisance Learning and Freckle to provide more personalised learning support for our pupils.
Freckle enables children to access their own learning activities, set by their teacher, in a way that balances learning and fun. Pupils can access Freckle in school and at home and the learning activities provide them with chances to review, revisit and practice aspects of their classroom learning.
Mathematical Stories
The use of storytelling could be another effective way of learning maths while keeping your child firmly engaged with what they are doing. What’s more – this strategy is not limited to just pre-school children, but is applicable to those in primary schools and beyond too. There are lots of stories for all age groups that can be accessed and used to help with the learning of mathematical concepts, details of these can be found on the Maths Through Stories website https://www.mathsthroughstories.org/
As well as some suggestions of possible books to share with your child there are lots of suggestions about how to engage your child through the sharing of a story. If you do find a book that you think that your child would like to read please remember that we can always check the ATOS level of the book so that it may become part of your child's Accelerated Reader home learning. Please use your child's phase email to contact staff if you need help with this.
Other suggestions for maths challenges and inter-active Learning
EYFS
https://famly.co/blog/inspiration/10-creative-early-years-maths-activities/
https://nrich.maths.org/early-years
http://www.badgemore.oxon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ReceptionMathsHomeChallengeCards.pdf
Key Stage 1
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/problem-solving
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/kids-activities/fun-maths-games-and-activities/
http://www.mathblaster.com/parents/math-games
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/22/most-popular
Key Stage 2
https://www.funwithpuzzles.com/2016/05/math-picture-puzzles.html
https://www.prodigygame.com/blog/brain-teasers-for-kids/
