School Vision: Excellence in learning – Investment in Oracy – Strength in Inclusivity

Mathematics makes a significant contribution to modern society and at Laurel Lane, we consider it to be vital for the life opportunities of our children. We strive to enable fascination and excitement to discover mathematical concepts and to broaden pupils’ knowledge and understanding of how mathematics is used in the wider world.

At Laurel Lane we ensure children have transferable mathematical skills, the ability to reason and solve problems, as well as a well-developed understanding of mathematical vocabulary. We believe that the language of Mathematics is international, the subject transcends cultural boundaries, and its importance is universally recognised. We therefore use this in our approach to ensure that compassion and empathy is being taught. We provide pupils with the opportunity to explore mathematics using a range of concrete, abstract and pictorial resources.

Solving problems using numerical fluency is the basis of our mathematics lessons. We hope children experience a sense of awe and wonder as they solve a problem for the first time, discover a varied range of solutions and make links between different areas of mathematics. We ensure that children leave Laurel Lane with a logical and creative number fluency ability and with an ability to recall key number facts such as multiplication tables. 

We strive at Laurel Lane, to ensure children are curious, ask questions and ultimately enjoy their maths lessons. Skills for learning are a high priority. For example, being able to explain ideas and respond to feedback from teachers and peers are crucial to our curriculum. Being confident, resilient, able to persevere and show determination is at the core of what we want to achieve. After all, mathematics helps us to understand and change the world.

How Maths is taught at Laurel Lane

This is a guide for anyone who is visiting Laurel Lane to explain our approach to teaching Mathematics across the school. It is intended to explain what you can expect to see/not to see during lessons. ​

Q. What will a typical maths lesson look like?

At Laurel Lane we follow a mastery approach in which all children are taught from the same National Curriculum objectives for their year group.  Through working this way, we give all children the opportunity to achieve mastery at their pace and level. We have high expectations in all Maths lessons. A typical Maths lesson will include fluency, problem solving and reasoning so that children apply what they have learnt within the context of a story, problem or puzzle. Teachers are encouraged to be flexible and react to the children's needs as the lesson progresses. We aim for depth of understanding rather than acceleration through content.

Q. Where are the lessons and resources planned from?

Lessons are designed to follow a concrete > pictorial > abstract approach. Tasks and activities will be taken from a variety of resources such as White Rose Hub, Classroom Secrets, NRICH, NCETM, Problem Solved and Talk It, Solve It.

Q. Maths Displays and Resources

Each classroom has a working maths display which demonstrates how children may approach tasks and develop skills. These show models which serve as an aid and scaffold to the children's independent learning. Each classroom also has maths resources available, the use of such resources is modelled to the children to support independence and self-selection, demonstrating autonomy in their learning. 

Q. What will the tasks in books look like?

Tasks completed by children will involve elements of fluency, problem solving and reasoning. 

Q. Where do you record evidence for fluency, reasoning and problem solving?

At Laurel Lane we are committed to giving pupils ‘Time to Talk’ during the maths lesson. If children are to become problem solvers, then they need time to explain their understanding and reasoning. This cannot always be recorded; however, you will see this during observations of lessons. As the development of oracy is a school priority, you will observe pupils being encouraged to share their thinking out loud and demonstrating their understanding by justifying and explaining their answers.

Times Tables

To ensure that our children develop a secure knowledge of times tables, all children are also able to access Times Tables Rockstars, both at school and home. The online platform is used to support children in being able to recall their times tables facts, knowledge which we recognise is significant in developing fluency and reasoning across a range of units.