"It is clear that the chief end of mathematical study must be to make the students think." - John Wesley Young
John Wesley Young (1879 - 1932) was an American mathematician
Maths at St Thomas'
At St Thomas’ we want every child to enjoy maths and become a confident mathematician - to be an independent problem solver, who can articulate their thoughts and appropriately challenge their peers, develop a strong ability to reason effectively and a curiosity about number and unpicking mathematical concepts. Our children are taught that mathematics is a crucial subject with a very real application to everyday life and this is made clear in our lessons.
Our curriculum is based on the White Rose Maths schemes of work and we have adapted adn refined this so it meeds the needs of our school and our context. We have chosen to place a great emphasis on developing and strengthening children’s fluency in number skills, number operations and on children’s ability to remember key maths facts such as doubles, halves and times tables. Our curriculum enables children to use these known facts and a range of strategies and methods by applying their Maths skills in a range of contexts, both in Maths lessons and across the wider curriculum, particularly in STEM subjects such as Computing, Design Technology and Science.
Our curriculum provides children with many opportunities to revisit prior learning and build on their knowledge and is underpinned by the principles of Mastery. This encompasses the four areas: fluency, variation, representation and structure, and mathematical thinking. Our units of work and lessons are structured to support and guide children in their journey to become confident mathematicians. In all year groups, children are encouraged to use concrete apparatus, draw pictures, images and use jottings, before moving on to more abstract methods once they are more confident. By becoming secure in their understanding of the concepts behind the methods of Maths, children will be better equipped for Maths as they progress through school and onto their next level in high school and life beyond.