Our Vision for Mathematics

Children leave Lee Common School as confident, skilled and resilient mathematicians who understand that mathematics is a fundamental part of the world we live in and are ready for the next stage of their education. We give children real-life learning experiences to ensure that they are confident to deal with the rapidly changing world which awaits them. We ensure that all children develop a love of learning and a deep understanding that will stay with them for life. Our children thrive upon conquering the challenges and puzzles that mathematics brings and show resilience when facing challenges.

Our mastery approach to the curriculum develops children's knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts from the Early Years through to the end of Year 2. Challenge is built into every lesson for pupils who grasp concepts rapidly through more challenging problems and same day intervention is provided for children who are not sufficiently fluent with earlier material to consolidate their understanding. New concepts are taught using the concrete, pictorial, abstract (CPA) method and small steps are built in to ensure solid understanding. Our children become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics through the placement of number at the heart of our curriculum. Every mathematics lesson begins with a fluency focus that ensures embedding of number facts through consistent daily practise. Children are encouraged to use resources throughout the school and a wide range are accessible in every classroom.

Our Mathematics Curriculum

At Lee Common CE School, our mathematics curriculum promotes positive attitudes towards maths, building a culture of deep understanding, confidence and competence. Children enjoy their learning and become increasingly fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, able to apply learning to new situations, reason and solve problems.

We have an ‘all children can’ approach. Using appropriate resources to support all children to achieve, we encourage our children to be resilient and to persevere even when they find something difficult, thus developing growth mindsets. Children are supported outside of lessons with pre-teaching and additional support to enable them to access the appropriate curriculum.

Using the White Rose Maths scheme of work to support teaching and learning, we use the concrete – pictorial – abstract (CPA) approach to support pupils in understanding concepts. The children are encouraged to make connections between different representations, starting with use of resources the children can manipulate, then looking at pictures of these resources, thus preparing them for abstract applications. Throughout, we emphasise the use of correct mathematical language. Teachers assess and adapt work, questioning pupils and encouraging them to discuss and explain their mathematics, demonstrating their thought processes and showing a deeper conceptual understanding of mathematical principles.  

Progression