At Plaxtol Primary School, we believe that all children can succeed in Maths and our aim is to enable all children to reach their full mathematical potential. In order to achieve this, we teach using a Mastery approach to sequence our curriculum.

A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered when a pupil can represent it in multiple ways, has the mathematical language to communicate related ideas and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar contexts.

The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions. 

Mastery is a long-term goal achieved through exploration, clarification, practice and application over time. At each stage of learning, pupils are encouraged to develop a deep, conceptual understanding of the topic that they build on as they move up through the school. We believe that this will enable them to develop resilience and independence throughout their learning. Pupils will explore links with the wider world, equipping them with skills for life.

At our school, we follow the White Rose Mathematics mixed-aged framework. which is used to  extend children's fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills. We also use examples of questions from NCETM for same day interventions for pre-teaching and consolidation. To encourage deeper and more critical thinking, we use Gareth Metcalfe’s iseemaths and nrich tasks. In the most part year groups are taught separately their part of the maths curriculum. 

All children have their own login for Doodle Maths and Doodle Tables to access at home. We believe this application supports each child's progression by creating a personalised Maths programme, based upon each child's specific mathematical needs.

As part of the Year 4 Maths curriculum, the children take part in the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) in Term 6. The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics.

Throughout the year, pupils have the opportunity to apply their reasoning and problem solving skills through Maths focused weeks and projects that allow them to explore problems with increasing confidence. We believe this is an opportunity to celebrate children's successes and enable us to earn from one another.