KS3/4 Maths

Intent

At Broadfield Specialist School, our intent for mathematics is to teach a rich, balanced and progressive curriculum using maths to reason, problem solve and develop fluent conceptual understanding in each area. Our curriculum allows students to better make sense of the world around them by making connections between mathematics and its use in everyday life to make learning impactful. Our policies, resources and schemes support our vision and clearly outline where maths can be incorporated across different curriculum areas. The structure of the mathematics curriculum across school allows students to progress to the best of their ability and achieve the best possible grades/qualifications by the end of their school journey. Teaching curriculum content in blocks allows students to explore skills and knowledge in depth and gain a secure understanding of a particular subject matter. Key knowledge and skills are also revisited regularly allowing repetition to embed learning. A concrete, pictorial, abstract approach provides students with a clear structure in which they can develop their depth of understanding of mathematical concepts. We aim to ensure that mathematics is a high profile subject which students view positively and with a ‘Can do’ attitude.

Implementation

In kS3 we follow the ‘white Rose Maths’ scheme of learning

White Rose ‘Schemes of Learning’ provide sequential ‘Blocks’ of learning for the whole year, where students meet each area of learning each year, providing a spiral curriculum.

Each ‘Block’ provides sequential ‘Small Steps’ towards meeting curriculum outcomes. Teachers use professional judgement to decide how long to spend on each small step or whether they are needed for their cohort.

Each ‘Small Step’ incorporates valuable support for teachers, including:

· ‘Notes and Guidance’ which outline where the Small Steps sit in relation to prior and future years’ learning, supporting pitch and expectation;

· ‘Mathematical Talk’ which provides prompt questions to support students to explain their thinking;

· ‘Varied Fluency’ which enables students to meet concepts in a variety of ways;

· ‘Reasoning & Problem Solving’ which offers opportunities to apply the small step’s learning in new contexts.

We use White Rose Maths as a framework for teaching because of its Concrete – Pictorial Abstract approach, which is fundamental to helping children build mental images in their heads, fully understand concepts and spot patterns easily.

Concrete representation: a student is first introduced to an idea or skill by acting it out with real objects. This is a ‘hands-on’ component using real objects and is a foundation for conceptual understanding.

Pictorial representation: a student has sufficiently understood the ‘hands-on’ experiences performed and can now relate them to representations, such as a diagram or picture of the problem.

Abstract representation: a student is now capable of representing problems by using mathematical notation, for example, 12 x 2 = 24. It is important that conceptual understanding, supported by the use of representation, is secure for all procedures. Reinforcement is achieved by going back and forth between these representations.

For this reason, teachers use manipulatives to explain ideas and model techniques, and they are available in every lesson for students to use too. They provide a supportive scaffold for any student who needs this at any point to achieve success. When students have grasped a concept, they are given opportunities to deepen their understanding through reasoning, problem-solving and investigative challenges

We use the White Rose Maths scheme as a skeleton for our KS3 curriculum and teachers will make an informed decision as to what is best for their students. At Broadfield we try to makes Maths more active and lessons often involve the students leaving the traditional classroom environment to complete activities.

In KS4, students are streamed into classes based on their ability. This is decided by analysing data and through observations by the class teacher and subject leader. Students then follow an appropriate accreditation which aims to get them the highest possible qualification before leaving Broadfield School. Students are taught a varied and balanced curriculum that works towards achieving the highest grade for their particular accreditation. Students may complete an entry level certificate, entry level or functional skills accreditation.

Impact

The impact of our mathematics curriculum is that students understand the relevance and importance of what they are learning in relation to real world concepts. Students know that maths is a vital life skill that they will rely on in many areas of their daily life. Students have a positive view of maths due to learning in an environment where maths is promoted as being an exciting and enjoyable subject in which they can investigate and ask questions; they know that it is reasonable to make mistakes because this can strengthen their learning through the journey to finding an answer. Students are confident to ‘have a go’ and choose the equipment they need to help them to learn along with the strategies they think are best suited to each problem. Our students have a good understanding of their strengths and targets for development in maths and what they need to do to improve. Our maths books evidence work of a high standard of which students clearly take pride; the components of the teaching sequences demonstrate good coverage of fluency, reasoning and problem solving.