Our Maths Lead is Kerri-Ann Weston.

Intent 

C: We promote and embed a positive Maths culture. 

H: Maths is vital in everyday life. Through problem-solving children are encouraged to be resilient, and accept that struggle is often a necessary step in learning, promoting positive mental health. 

A: We aspire for children to secure a deep and adaptable understanding of Maths which they can apply to different contexts. 

I: We develop our children’s mathematical identity by providing the opportunity to develop conceptual understanding through range of practical, investigative and written work.   

R: Children foster good relationships by talking about their Maths and working cooperatively to solve problems. They demonstrate respect for their peers and their ideas.

Values

Our curriculum is underpinned by our British values, equalities, school ethos and the need to build cultural capital for all our pupils.

At Rushden Primary Academy, we use the Teaching for Mastery approach to ensure our curriculum ...

• gives the opportunity for every child to learn and enjoy maths.
• encourages children to reason, problem-solve and make connections to real-life contexts.
• allows children to work collaboratively to refine and improve their learning.
• uses the CPA approach (concrete, pictorial, abstract) to teaching mathematics. 
• is built in small, logical steps to allow pupils of all ages to acquire a deep, secure and adaptable understanding of mathematical procedures.
• nurtures a positive attitude and builds confidence in mathematics so that all children can achieve
• develops procedural fluency and conceptual understanding.
• is taught together as a whole class and the focus is on depth - not acceleration - so that all children have a chance to embed learning..
• uses a ping-pong approach to teaching, allowing for questioning, short tasks, explanation, demonstration, and discussion, enabling pupils to think, reason and apply their knowledge to solve problems.
• Uses precise mathematical language to enable all pupils to communicate their reasoning and thinking effectively.
• allows us to quickly identify a pupil who may fail to grasp a concept and address gaps in understanding to prevent them from falling behind.

Vision and aims for maths in our school:

Children will have/be able to: 

• Foster reasoning and articulate problem-solving skills. They will learn how to analyse problems, make connections, and articulate their understanding using mathematical language. Through regular practice and exposure to a range of problem-solving tasks, students will become confident in explaining their mathematical thinking and reasoning.
• Promote collaborative learning and exploration of mathematical concepts. Collaborative tasks promote communication, peer learning, and the sharing of different perspectives. By working together, students can deepen their understanding through meaningful discussions and learn from each other's approaches.
• Connect mathematics to real-life contexts and applications.
• Develop automaticity in learning mathematical facts through regular practice and repetition. By developing automaticity in fundamental operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, students can solve problems more effectively and efficiently, freeing up cognitive resources for higher-level thinking.

By implementing this approach, we strive to provide students with a deep understanding of mathematics, the ability to explain their reasoning, the opportunity to work together, and a practical understanding of how mathematics is used in the world.

Assessment

At Rushden Primary Academy, teachers utilise both formative and summative assessments to gauge students' progress and understanding of mathematics. Formative assessments are conducted while children are actively engaged in their learning, allowing teachers to provide immediate feedback and support. These assessments help identify any misconceptions or areas where additional instruction is needed.

In addition to ongoing formative assessments, teachers administer summative assessments at the end of specific units or academic years. These assessments serve as a way to evaluate students' overall achievement and provide a comprehensive picture of their mathematical knowledge and skills. Some of the assessments used at Rushden Primary Academy include:

1. White Rose tests: These assessments align with the White Rose Maths scheme and are designed to assess students' understanding of specific mathematical concepts and skills.

2. KS1 and KS2 SATS: The Key Stage 1 and 2 SATS (Standardised Assessment Tests) are national assessments administered at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, respectively. These tests cover a range of mathematics topics and provide standardised measures of students' attainment.

3. Year 4 Multiplication Check: This is a national assessment administered in Year 4 to evaluate students' fluency in multiplication tables up to 12x12.

4. PIXL papers: PIXL (Partners in Excellence) papers are assessments provided by the PIXL organisation. These papers help identify individual student's strengths and areas for improvement, providing targeted support and intervention.

Maths working walls and areas 

Maths working walls are helpful tools in the classroom, serving as a reference for teachers and pupils. They showcase the children's progress from the previous and current weeks, displaying relevant learning materials. These walls provide easy access to important concepts and foster an engaged learning environment.

Five-part lesson structure 

Maths lessons are taught using our 'Flight Of the Kite' 5-part lesson structure, which is based on Rosenshine's principles. 

At Rushden Primary Academy, the teaching process in mathematics follows a structured approach that involves reactivating prior knowledge, teaching new concepts, guided practice, independent work, and reflection. Here is a breakdown of each stage:

1. Reactivate: To begin a lesson, teachers reactivate students' prior knowledge through various strategies. This includes using flashback 4 questions from White Rose, gap analysis questions, build it/draw it/connect it/explain it questions, and verbal discussions with talk partners. These activities help students recall and connect previously learnt concepts and prepare them for the new lesson.

2. Teach: The teaching phase is designed to engage and challenge students, regardless of their abilities. The instruction is pitched at a level that encourages the more able students to deepen their understanding while providing support to others. The CPA (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract) approach is utilised, where the teacher models questions and addresses any misconceptions. This phase involves a significant amount of discussion between the teacher and students, fostering a collaborative and interactive learning environment. Students are encouraged to communicate using full sentence stems and use appropriate mathematical vocabulary. They are prompted to compare and contrast concepts by answering questions such as "What's the same?" and "What's different?"

3. Guided: Throughout the teaching phase, students work with a talk partner to complete a similar-style question. This guided practice allows students to apply their understanding with support and guidance from their partners.

4. Independent: In the independent phase, students work individually on a variety of fluency, problem-solving, and reasoning questions. Additional challenges or extension questions are available on the "extension" area of the maths working wall to provide further challenges for those who need them.

5. Reflect: The reflection stage encourages students to reflect on their learning within the lesson. Teachers review students' work to identify any students who may require further intervention or support. Any final misconceptions or areas of difficulty are addressed during this stage to ensure that students have a clear understanding before moving on.

By following this structured approach, Rushden Primary Academy aims to actively engage students in their learning, provide support and challenge based on their abilities, and foster reflective thinking for a deeper understanding of mathematics concepts.

NSPCC Dress-up for Number Day

We were thrilled to participate in the NSPCC's Number Day on Friday, February 3rd, 2023, showing our support for this important cause. It was a fantastic opportunity to witness how mathematics can be integrated into various subjects such as art, reading, PE, geography, science, and music. As a school, we successfully raised an impressive £205.80 for charity, contributing to the meaningful work of the NSPCC.

Cross-curricular maths

At our school, we prioritise the integration of mathematics across the curriculum. We believe in the power of embedding mathematical concepts and skills into various subjects. By doing so, we ensure that students not only develop a strong foundation in mathematics but also understand its relevance and application in real-world contexts. Through this approach, we aim to nurture well-rounded learners who can confidently utilise mathematics in diverse areas of study.