At Gascoigne Primary School we use the Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach. Much of this approach is to ensure children gain mastery in maths at each year level. Pupils will spend time exploring a topic, reinforcing it with practice, before moving onto the next topic. All ideas are built on previous knowledge and pupils have ample opportunity to develop relationships between topics.

Our curriculum enables pupils’ difficulties and misconceptions are identified through immediate formative assessment and addressed with immediate intervention.

Our teachers provide an inclusive teaching environment for all pupils. Lessons provide all children with opportunities for reasoning, explanation and clarification to deepen their knowledge. 

As a school, we create opportunities for bespoke in and out of class small group structured sessions driven with a focus on mathematical language and the CPA approach for learners who struggle to conceptualise taught concepts in class.

The National Curriculum for mathematics reflects the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum-cognitively, socially and linguistically. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are key factors in developing their mathematical vocabulary and presenting mathematical justification, argument or proof. Pupils must be assisted in making their thinking clear to themselves as well as others. Our approach ensures that teachers support pupils to build secure foundations by using discussion to probe and remedy their misconceptions. 

Fluency in mathematics is the ability to complete mathematical problems accurately and efficiently, and having the confidence and ability to flexibly manipulate mathematical concepts. Some children will acquire this skill with quick recall of a number of facts and a strong procedural understanding, whereas others will achieve the same results with a deep conceptual understanding.

Our curriculum recognises the importance of this and pupils are exposed to both and see problems solved using multiple methods.

Variation can be seen throughout our lessons with the amount of assistance given to pupils, where scaffolded tasks can be followed by less-scaffolded tasks. Our lessons are centred around an explore task, allowing pupils to consider it more thoroughly, without rushing. This slower pace leads to greater progress, ensuring pupils are secure in their understanding and not build on misconceptions.

In key stage 1, the Mastering Number programme has been introduced as a systematic and structured approach to teaching early addition and subtraction skills. The programme includes stages such as adding 1, adding 0, making and breaking numbers to 10, addition and subtraction of numbers below 20 and then applying this to larger 2-digit numbers. Sessions follow a structure of some explicit teaching using animation and also carefully designed practice questions for the children.

In key stage 2, daily arithmetic practice or ‘fluent in 5’ is built into Maths lessons, the content of which has been carefully mapped to reflect the learning from the previous year that should then become automatic. We will also be using a style called “Flashback four” where the lesson starts with four retrieval questions (from last lesson, last week, last half-term and last year). The intention is that this will increase retrieval and will minimise gaps in learning and the need to re-teach content. 

By the end of year 4, children should be proficient in all of their times-tables up to 12x12. In the summer term, the children in year 4 sit the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) to test their knowledge of the timetables. To support the learning and continued practise of times-tables, we use Times Table Rockstars (TTRS). This is an online platform where children engage in a range of games to improve their speed and accuracy with times-tables. 

Prior to learning their times-tables, children need to become proficient in their basic addition and subtraction skills. To support this, we use Numbots. This is linked to TTRS. Children in key stage 1 become faster and more efficient at their basic number bonds. All children are encouraged to practise the relevant game daily at home and weekly at school.

MTC Parent Info Session

2024 Information for Parents - Multiplication Table Checks

Under the current National Curriculum:

Primary children are required to learn their times tables up to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4. The Multiplication Tables Check assesses the instant recall of multiplication facts.