At Penryn Primary Academy, we believe everyone can achieve in maths. Our teachers follow the small step progression provided by the White Rose Scheme of Learning mastery curriculum. These small steps are broken down in to smaller components to meet the needs of our children.
Our vision and aim is to instil a love for maths in children and provide them with an environment where they can achieve their full potential, making cross-curricular and real contextual links with maths and the real world. We encourage the children to explain and discuss their mathematical thinking and skills – this supports how we learn in our classes through the ‘Mastery Approach’. This approach enables the children to learn new concepts through a variety of Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving opportunities, providing opportunities for a deeper understanding of their learning, equipping them with the skills that they need in life beyond school.
In lessons, children receive quality inputs from teachers and answer small step questions in a paper strip format. Children use manipulatives to support their mathematical understanding and use a variety of different resources. Every Monday, children receive an arithmetic session, where they can focus on the fundamental elements of maths. The teachers strive to improve the children’s confidence and competence with completing arithmetic quickly, increasing rapid recall facts and ensuring the children have a deeper understanding of the mathematical concept by adhering to the three aims. This guarantees that children will be able to progress and transfer their mathematical skills into their long term memory. At Penryn, we endeavour to fuel our children with a love for maths and support them in their next step in their education.
Foundation Stage
In the Foundation Stage (FS), Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving is taught through adult led sessions/activities and accessed through our carefully planned continuous provision and daily routines.
Nursery
In our Nursery the curriculum is based around four key areas: matching, sorting, nursery rhymes and the counting principles. We embed new learning in our continuous provision and daily routines, where daily opportunities to informally develop mathematical understanding can be capitalised on.
Reception
We embed new learning through an activity and in our continuous provision and daily routines where daily opportunities to informally develop mathematical understanding can be capitalised on. To be consistent with the rest of the school, Reception plan using White Rose Reception Planning as a guide.
Year 1
In Year 1, the children are taught through a combination of approaches. They are given daily Number Sense sessions to support the embedding of addition and subtraction facts within 10. They also have a combination of four whole class and small group sessions planned using the White Rose maths scheme, which expose the children to new concepts supported through a concrete, pictorial, abstract approach. These adult-led sessions are where new resources are introduced and taught before they are placed into provision. The children then have access to two Maths Areas within the provision to practise new skills, embed learning and become independent in key concepts taught. Enhancements are also carefully added when appropriate to add challenge, embed concepts and develop competency in areas of learning.
Year 2
In Year 2, the children are taught through a range of approaches. They are given daily Number Sense sessions to support the embedding of arithmetic facts. On a Monday they have an arithmetic lesson which is used to embed previous learning. The other lessons within the week follow White Rose Scheme of Learning, followed by a strip of work for their book.
Lower Key Stage 2
On a Monday, each class has an arithmetic session which can be used to embed previous learning or used to learn a new concept or practise a fluency skill recently introduced. The other four daily sessions consist of Fluent in Five followed by a whole class input and a strip of work for their book. In years 3 and 4, the children are also introduced to the Number Sense Times Table Fluency programme, where they are introduced to the 36 key times table facts. They have daily times tables sessions, completing booklets and activities to embed their facts. In year 4, children will also complete the national Multiplication Times-table Check, this will be in the summer term.
Upper Key Stage 2
On a Monday, each class has an arithmetic session which can be used to embed previous learning or used to learn a new concept or practise a fluency skill recently introduced. The other four daily sessions consist of Fluent in Five followed by a whole class input and a strip of work for their book. In years 5 and 6, the children also compete a weekly arithmetic quiz to embed and assess their understanding.
