Mathematics at Junction Farm
Curriculum Intent
Our Mathematics Curriculum at Junction Farm:
- Is well planned and well sequenced following a ‘Spiral’ curriculum design;
- Has breadth, depth and ambition for all;
- Guarantees long-term learning and ensures pupils know more, remember more and can do more;
- Is underpinned by a range of research, including from DfE, our academy Trust and local authority;
- Inspires children to be confident mathematicians;
- Reflects our school ethos (STARS).
Curriculum Implementation
- High standard of classroom practice – use of adaptive teaching;
- Use of pre and post learning tasks;
- Enhanced curricular offer.
Curriculum Impact
- Strong outcomes – formative and summative assessment;
- Pupils enjoy maths lessons and have a love of learning;
- Pupils know more, remember more and can do more in maths;
- Pupils are confident mathematicians and are ready for the next stage of their education/ mathematical journey.
- Pupils understand the important of maths in everyday life.
Key Stage 1 Outcomes
|
2018 |
2019 |
2022 |
2023 |
| EXS+ |
90% |
88% |
87% |
89% |
| GDS |
31% |
31% |
35% |
32.6% |
Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check
|
2022 |
2023 |
| Average score (out of 25) |
23.8 |
24.4 |
| Percentage achieving 25/25 |
67.9% |
68% |
Key Stage 2 Outcomes
|
2018 |
2019 |
2022 |
2023 |
| EXS+ |
94% |
98% |
95% |
94% |
| GDS |
29% |
49% |
36% |
33% |
| Progress |
1.2 |
2.4 |
2.7 |
1.8 |
| Average Scaled Score |
107 |
109 |
107 |
106.7 |
Early Years
Nursery:
In Vision Academy Learning Trust, we believe in the importance of providing our youngest children with rich, bespoke mathematical learning experiences. We aim to promote a love of mathematics, developing positive attitudes and curiosity. This is fostered within enabling environments created to provide opportunities and ambition for all children through:
- Quality-first teaching
- Continuous provision
- Enhanced provision
- Scaffolding in play
- Quality adult interactions
Each of our schools have developed bespoke, well-sequenced Early Years curriculums to meet our children’s unique needs. As a Trust, we have high expectations for all of our children, therefore we have developed key ‘Reception Ready’ statements to ensure our children have firm foundations in Mathematics for the next stage of their learning journey.
Reception:
Mathematical Provision in Reception
In Early Years, we ensure children have a deep understanding of numbers to 10 and extend their understanding of the number system.
In Reception, children have daily Mathematics lessons. We use a ‘spiral’ approach ensuring the Mathematics Educational Programme and bespoke curriculum are embedded and enhanced throughout our Mathematics lessons and continuous provision. Our long-term plan has been well planned and sequenced, ensuring breadth, depth and ambition for all. The spiral approach allows us to revisit and deepen mathematical knowledge, understanding and using vocabulary. We ensure shape, space and measure are threaded through our curriculum every half term.
Our curriculum encompasses the following:
- Daily counting (progressing across the year, to reach numbers to 50), starting from any number, including finding one more and one less;
- A variety of representations and manipulatives, including Numicon and tens frames;
- Regular subitising activities;
- Ongoing focus on number bonds;
- Introducing shapes with associated number of sides as a number is taught;
- Language of time used throughout the school day;
- Regular reading and writing of numerals, progressing beyond 10.
Enriched Opportunities:
- Songs and nursery rhymes throughout our mathematics curriculum;
- Continuous provision offers additional high-quality mathematical opportunities;
- Using Mathematics in the outdoor environment, embedding the concept that Mathematics takes place all around us;
- Bridging the curriculum and preparing for Year 1 through our ‘Year 1 Ready’ statements.
Partnership with Parents:
- Curriculum information for parents
- Communication with and updates for parents
- Encouraging mathematics at home
On the afternoon of National Number Day 2023, our Reception parents were invited into school as an opportunity to see first-hand what Mathematics looks like in Reception and explore some fun maths activities with their children! It was a super afternoon enjoyed by children, parents and staff! Take a look at some photos:
Keystage 1 and Keystage 2 Curriculum:
Curriculum Design:
At Junction Farm Primary, our primary Mathematics curriculum is designed, in line with the National Curriculum, using a ‘spiral approach’ (Bruner, 1960), where learners revisit mathematical aspects throughout the year, each time making connections and deepening their understanding. Our mathematics curriculum is the product of careful sequencing and linking of knowledge, which has been coherently planned and sequenced, guaranteeing long-term learning and ensuring learners are best prepared for the next stage of their learning (see curriculum plans). We want all of our pupils to develop a love and enthusiasm for Mathematics!
Progression and sequencing
Progression is based on the development of interdependent units, outlined below. Pupils should make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems:
- Number – Number and Place Value
- Number – Addition and Subtraction
- Number – Multiplication and Division
- Number- Fractions (including decimals and percentages)
- Ratio and Proportion
- Measurement
- Geometry – properties of shapes
- Geometry – position and direction
- Statistics
- Algebra
To build mathematical knowledge effectively, some knowledge has to be built before others, e.g. elements of place value need to be understood before working with addition and subtraction and addition needs to be learnt before looking at multiplication (as a model of repeated addition). Emphasis is on number skills and mental/written methods first, carefully ordered and sequenced, throughout our primary curriculum. For some other topics, the order isn’t as crucial, e.g. Shapes and Statistics need to come after elements of number, but don’t depend on each other. We have tried to mix these so pupils have as wide a variety of mathematical experiences as possible in each term and year, in accordance with the national curriculum. We have ensured an appropriate amount of teaching time is allocated to each unit, in accordance with the number of objectives.
Arithmetic
From Year 1-6, we have a daily 15-minute arithmetic session which is planned time for pupils to rehearse declarative knowledge (facts – number facts and times tables) and procedural knowledge (methods). We aim to ensure pupils have efficient, accurate and clear methods for the four operations and fractions, which should be taught and rehearsed to automaticity. Equally important is the neatness and logical approaches to reduce the risk of accidental errors (Ofsted Mathematics Research Review 2021). Arithmetic content for each year group is provided, ensuring we revisit content from previous years.
Times tables and number facts should be an explicit part of the arithmetic session, ensuring rapid and accurate recall.
Enhanced Curricular Offer
- Doodle Maths: pre-teaching for SEN and lowest 20%.
- Times Table Rockstars
- STEM – curriculum links eg. chronology in History, climate graphs in Geography, orienteering in P.E, graph work in Computing, statistics in Science and designing/using technical knowledge in D&T… to name just a few examples.
- Trust/wider area links – competitions/challenges e.g. National Number Day, Times Tables Competition, Aim High Maths Day.
KS2 Mathematics Quiz
Two groups of Year 6 children entered the national ‘KS2 Mathematics Quiz Club’ competition. Both teams worked exceptionally hard and demonstrated great teamwork, determination and resilience. Team 1 qualified to the national semi-final. Despite some very challenging questions, the team worked so well together and we are extremely proud of them. Very well done!
NSPCC’S NATIONAL NUMBER DAY
This year, we decided that our focus would be ‘Maths at the Movies’. Each key stage had a movie to focus on and the children completed a range of number and maths-based activities linked to this, recognising that maths is found throughout each movie. We also dressed in non-uniform in order to raise money for NSPCC – thank you for your contributions. Take a look at some of our pictures!
Last year as a Trust, we decided to focus on the theme ‘Maths is Everywhere’. Children dressed as someone who uses maths/numbers in their everyday job/position – we had doctors, nurses, fire fighters, athletes, vets, teachers, bakers and builders, to name just a small selection! Below is a video which we watched – we learnt how a range of people use maths in their roles (e.g. CEO, skiing instructor, electrician, cupcake maker, oil & gas worker, ice hockey player, estate agent and school cook). Take a look! Children also enjoyed participating in a range of activities throughout the day recognising how Maths is everywhere. We also had a ‘Maths in the environment’ photograph competition – we had some fantastic entries! At Junction Farm, we know that MATHS IS EVERYWHERE!
AIM HIGH MATHS DAY 2023
A group of Y5/6 pupils attended the ‘A.I.M High Maths Day’ along with a number of other local primary schools – this was hosted by The Links Primary. The pupils had to complete a range of challenging problem-solving activities – they showed perseverance and teamwork throughout the day. A super day – very well done!
PHOTOGRAPHS
