Mathematics

What does teaching for mastery look like?

More whole-class interactive teaching to ensure all children understand concepts before moving on to the next stage.

• If a pupil fails to understand a concept, early intervention will enable them to move on in the next sessions – this could be through TA/teacher support, a group outside of a lesson, marking, a mini focus at the start of the next session.
• In lessons, pupils may engage in learning as the teacher leads back and forth with input, tasks, questions, explanations, demonstration and discussion.
• Significant time is spent developing a deep knowledge which may mean lessons appear to move at a slower pace. However, sessions should be planned to include lots of opportunities for children to think and apply, even if this is through mini tasks as part of a whole class session.

 What are we doing?

Teachers take a concrete-pictorial-abstract (CPA) approach, using manipulatives such as dienes, Cuisenaire rods, tens frames and counters for the concrete application, representations such as the bar model, part-part-whole model and story images for the pictorial, and careful structures for abstract concepts.   It will be important to develop moving through these stages as the concrete and pictorial should support the abstract understanding rather than be in place of it.  Children may use concrete or pictorial representations at different stages of their learning journey, or indeed to demonstrate understanding and reasoning skills at a deeper level.

Fluency is being developed through teaching the conceptual and procedural understanding and application. As a team, teachers will be planning lessons which enable children to move through learning at broadly the same pace. In classes, children are given the same opportunities to master mathematical concepts with additional challenge to deepen thinking and enhance reasoning skills built throughout lessons. Differentiation may be through specific tasks but could be through careful questioning, expectations for particular children accessing additional challenge, through adult support, rapid intervention and/or use of mathematical manipulatives. 

Why are we doing it?

One key focus of the Maths Mastery approach is to bring children together in their learning so that they all grasp concepts.  By deepening children’s maths understanding, they will have a richer understanding rather than merely moving up through knowledge without a solid grounding.  Teaching classes together also builds children’s confidence in their mathematical understanding and their self-esteem.

Click to view the Maths Mastery Presentation delivered on the 24th Jan 2019

These are exciting times for Maths at Tubbenden!

Click to view  Mathematics Calculation Policy

Numeracy information provided at Maths Workshop

Click here to view  Times Table Challenge

Maths games websites

	Fun maths games that can be set to different levels of difficulty. Each ‘level’ is a different game to the one preceding it.
	Maths games for older children although they will probably be unaware that it is ‘work’!
	Games and explanations of different concepts with child friendly illustrations
	Maths games for older children