Numeracy
Our approaches to the teaching of maths are in line with research and best practice in this area. We believe an understanding of number and an ability to apply reasoning and problem-solving strategies is at the foundation of all strands in the maths curriculum.
Traditionally, children have been taught procedures for doing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division "sums"; this was frequently achieved without any real understanding. We place a strong emphasis on developing good ‘number sense’ so that children can develop an understanding of numbers and how they work, and develop good estimation and mental computation skills to inform their problem-solving strategies.
Through class ‘Number Talks’, children are invited to use their strategies to solve a presented mathematical problem. By open sharing of approaches, children learn that there can be different approaches to problem-solving and that reasoning is central to mathematics.
The progression for learning which we adopt, starts with manipulation of concrete materials, followed by pictorial representations and finally abstract understanding. We aim not simply to enhance children’s understanding, but to develop in them a love for mathematics.