Maths

At Eling Infants it is our intent that all children can enjoy and be successful in mathematics.  We encourage the children to become confident independent learners who show a positive attitude towards maths and understand how it is used in everyday life, which will hopefully prepare them for their next stage of learning and lead them to a lifelong love of mathematics and becoming active problem solvers.  

We believe that mathematics provides learners with powerful ways to describe, analyse and change the world. Children can experience a sense of awe and wonder as they solve a problem for the first time, discover a better solution and make links between different areas of mathematics.

Mathematics is the means of looking at the patterns that make up our world and the intricate and beautiful ways in which they are constructed and realised. The language of mathematics is international, the subject transcends cultural boundaries and its importance is universally recognised.  Put simply mathematics helps us to understand and change the World.

At Eling we aim for all our children to build mathematical knowledge ensuring that they become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, being able to reason logically and solve problems.

An important part of this is challenging and extending all the children’s thinking. The children are often asked to solve open-ended tasks in a real life context.  They will be supported to record in order to explain their thinking, this ranges from basic marks and pictures to more sophisticated formal written methods.  We believe that children need to have a range of strategies and resources that they feel confident with and can select from when solving problems to ensure they can develop positive ‘can do’ attitude to maths.  We ask the children to be active reflective learners by using the challenge zone posters to ensure they are all extending their learning while also able to ask for help if they find themselves in the ‘danger zone’.

In Year R we teach the children about number (including addition subtraction), shape space and measure and problem solving. All of this is taught in a practical way and is embedded through the children’s play.  We use the guidance given in development matters and the foundation stage curriculum.

In KS1 (Year 1 and 2) we teach the children about number, place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions,  measurement , shape and position and direction.  This follows the guidelines from the National Curriculum 2013/14. We provide opportunities to solve problems independently or collaboratively and reflect on what they have found out by sharing their findings with their peers.  Our learning friends help the children to do this.

Each class room is equipped with a wide range of resources and displays to enable them to be purposeful, stimulating and supportive learning environments.  These resources include structured resources such as Numicon and Base Ten which are for giving the children a really strong visual image of numbers and place value.

We believe that for children to be confident mathematicians partnership with parents is key.  We know that if parents are confident and positive about maths then the children are much more likely to become confident.  We know this is not always how parents feel or that maths teaching has changed a lot so we try to support our parents to support their children by offering: information evenings, drop in sessions with our maths leaders, I  learn sessions, information leaflets and also all teachers are happy to meet with parents at a mutually convent time to discuss an individual pupil.  Each term there will also be information given to parents in the curriculum newsletters. 

If you are keen to extend your children’s learning at home then remember keep it: fun, in a real life context and where possible keep it practical. 

In five words...

All Children Confident, Fluent Mathematicians.

(Reviewed by subject leader 2023)