Our Curriculum:

At Bedford Primary School, we recognise that the curriculum we deliver is the toolkit we send our children out into the world with. It reflects our context, core values and the kind of citizens we want to send out into the world. We have to be ambitious for them and prepare them for a rapidly changing digital world.

"Without mathematics, there’s nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.”

Shakuntala Devi

The skills of a great student of mathematics:

• Curiosity to make mathematical statements and investigate them 
• The ability to reason about mathematics 
• Have a good understanding of all the different concrete materials and 'choose to use' them to help with independent work
• A good understanding of the correct mathematical vocabulary correctly and the ability to use it effectively to explain ideas, thinking and solutions
• Resilience to be able to see the challenge of overcoming mistakes as important and exciting steps to learning and discovery
• Perseverance in finding an answer by trying different strategies until the correct answer is found
• Fluency in number bonds and times tables 
• The ability to make links and apply basic maths skills to all areas of the curriculum and beyo

Throughout the subject of maths, our pupils will also demonstrate additional traits from our Bedford Learner Profile including problem-solving, effective communication creativity and confidence.  Promoting a love of mathematics is important to us too.

Our vision for mathematics:

At Bedford Primary we aim to foster an engaging and accessible for all curriculum that ensures all children have access to a rich, deep, varied and enjoyable mathematical experience. 

We believe that a high quality mathematics education is essential.  Our maths curriculum aims to develop children's ability to calculate, reason, problem solve and have a good understanding of the basic fundamentals in every year group. 

Our mathematics curriculum: 

At Bedford we have created our own bespoke curriculum in order to suit the needs of all our pupils.  Our small steps of learning have been developed by drawing on a number of different sources including: White Rose Maths materials, NCETM Teaching Spine resources,  DFE Ready to progress document and in consultation with Primary Maths consultant Sarah Martin.  Our ever evolving steps of learning is designed to support a mastery approach to teaching and learning as well as to support the aims and objectives of the National Curriculum.    

Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving:

Reasoning and sense making are the foundation of mathematical competence and proficiency, and their absence leads to failure and disengagement in mathematics instruction

At Bedford, we ensure that the three main aims of the National curriculum - fluency, reasoning and problem solving - are included and intertwined through each unit of work linked to a strand of Mathematics.  The three aims are taught explicitly and the use of STEM sentence frames in every lesson supports children in proving and explaining their reasoning and problem solving skills.  This will allow our learners to think mathematically, work independently and explain mathematical processes in depth, therefore providing deep and purposeful mathematical learning.     

Concrete Resources:

Manipulatives are a key component in the teacher’s toolkit, allowing the structure of the mathematics to be uncovered and hence understood more deeply by the children.

To support our children's learning, we introduce concepts by giving pupils the opportunity to build on their abilities by following the concrete, pictorial, abstract approach.  We aim to produce learners who are confident in using a range of concrete resources that are provided by examples given to them by their teachers but also independent learners who are able to select their own choice of equipment to support their learning.  Each classroom has 'choose to use' boxes on every table full of mathematical equipment such as numicon, dienes, place value counters, cubes, counters, 10 frames, dice and straw bundles which children have free access to.

Vocabulary: 

Vocabulary can especially support lower attainers, enabling them to build confidence, communicate and problem solve, so should be an integral part of every mathematics lesson.

At Bedford, vocabulary is an integral part of all our maths lessons.  We introduce, explicitly teach and revisit key mathematical vocabulary in every lesson.  Key vocabulary is also displayed on our maths working walls.  By ensuring children deeply understand the key vocabulary, this allows our learners to be confident in using it correctly to explain their mathematical reasoning. 

Variation:

We provide our pupils with a varied mathematical diet.  We always ensure that key concepts are presented in different ways in order to deepen understanding and allow pupils to become independent learners who will be able to think about key mathematical ideas in a number of different ways.  

Intervention:

Outside of our Maths sessions, we utilise Teaching Assistants to provide high quality intervention to address targets based on gaps in learning.  The targets are developed by class teachers and are regularly reviewed and adapted based on pupil's individual needs.  This ensures no child is ever left behind and any gaps in learning are quickly addressed and support is put in place to help every child succeed and progress in mathematics. 

Basic skills:

We are committed to ensuring that children leave each year group being able to confidently complete basic mathematical skills.  It is essential that children are able to complete and recall basic skills in order to be able to achieve higher level of mathematics.  We have developed a basic skills policy that lists the skills pupils need to master at the end of each year group.  Teachers use 'Rapid Recall' sessions at the start of each maths lesson and daily questions to practise and recall these skills. 

Key Documentation

Maths Policy 

Our Maths Policy gives a more in depth look at how Maths is taught and structured at Bedford. 

Calculation Policy 

At Bedford Primary School we have drawn on a number of different sources to create our calculation policy. 

By using this policy, it ensures we have a consistent approach to how pupils solve calculations.  It has been developed to guarantee progression as children move through the different year groups and ensures that children have a deep and thorough understanding of the different methods.

Additionally, we use steps to success to give children a checklist of the process they need to go through in order to complete calculations. 

National Curriculum Objectives

The objectives the children need to achieve in each year group by the end of each academic year.

Home learning

Knowing the times table is extremely important. 

To help children recall these facts we have subscribed to Times Tables Rock Stars. 

Usernames and passwords are the same for Times Tables Rock Stars and Numbots.  

To help working on number bonds and different counting strategies, we have subscribed to Numbots. 

Usernames and passwords are the same for Times Tables Rockstars and Numbots. 

We recommend:

• EYFS and year 1 to use Numbots 
• Year 2 and 3 to start with Numbots and then move onto TTRS
• Years 4, 5 and 6 to use TTRS. 

Parental support:

Completing simple Maths at home can really help children to flourish and make progress in school.  Activities such as baking and cooking are great for incorporating maths skills and teaching children real life skills.  Click the document below to look at the main objectives you can support with at home for each year group.  In KS1 the most important things to focus on are knowing number bonds to 10 and 20 off by heart and telling the time to o'clock and half past.  In KS2 the most important things to focus on are knowing multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12 off by heart and telling the time to the nearest minute.