Mathematics

"Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics." Dean Schlicter

At Kates Hill Primary School, we believe that mathematics is an essential life skill that enables children to make sense of the world around them. Our maths curriculum is designed to be ambitious, inclusive, and engaging, providing all pupils with a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and the confidence to apply them in a variety of contexts.

We follow the White Rose Maths scheme, which supports a mastery approach and allows pupils to develop fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving skills through carefully structured lessons. We believe in developing a strong mathematical foundation by ensuring children understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘how’.

Key features of our maths provision:

Concrete, Pictorial, and Abstract (CPA) approach to support all learners.
Daily arithmetic and fluency practice to build speed and accuracy.
Regular opportunities for children to explain their thinking and solve real-life problems.
Use of manipulatives and visual aids to support conceptual understanding.
High expectations for all learners, with targeted support and challenge.

We aim for every child at Kates Hill to leave primary school as a confident, competent mathematician, ready for the challenges of secondary education, everyday life and beyond.

Intent

At Kates Hill, our intent for mathematics is to teach a robust, progressive and engaging curriculum that fosters a deep understanding of mathematical concepts, encourages a love for learning, and equips our pupils with the skills necessary for real-life applications. We aim for all pupil to develop a deep, long-term understanding of maths which provides them with the skills to become lifelong mathematicians. We aspire to provide an outstanding maths curriculum that broadens knowledge and supports children to understand mathematics in the wider world, making connection between maths and everyday life. Through our curriculum, we hope to develop confident, resilient and independent learners who can communicate their mathematical thinking and reasoning effectively.

Our curriculum is designed to:

Ensure Mastery: We are committed to a mastery approach, where all pupils are encouraged to achieve a deep understanding of the mathematics concepts taught in each year group. We believe in the principle that every child can succeed and that no child should be left behind.

Promote Mathematical Fluency: We intend to build strong numerical fluency in our pupils through regular, engaging practice. This involves not just rote learning but a deep conceptual understanding of numbers and their relationships.

Incorporate Real-World Applications: Mathematics is essential in daily life; therefore, our curriculum incorporates real-life contexts and problem-solving situations that make learning relevant and meaningful.

Nurture a Growth Mindset: We aspire to create a classroom environment where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities, encouraging pupils to take risks and develop resilience in their mathematical journey.

Implementation

At Kates Hill Primary School, we teach math’s daily following the White Rose Scheme of Learning. This ensures a progressive and broad curriculum in every year group allowing for depth within every strand of maths.

We believe a concrete- pictorial- abstract is crucial for our children to develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. This understanding can then be applied to a range of contexts through reasoning and problem solving. Children have opportunities to work both independently and collaboratively in lessons encouraging them to develop their confidence and resilience. Discussion of concepts is integrated into every lesson to encourage children to discuss ideas, methods and concepts. Children have access to resources and concrete materials in all year groups to support their understanding of mathematical structures before progressing onto pictorial and abstract representations.

Children receive a minimum of four maths lessons per week and a one session dedicated to arithmetic to further develop number fluency and times tables. Times tables play a crucial part in the maths curriculum with all children being expected to recall up to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4. Every math’s lesson begins with an arithmetic style starter and previously taught knowledge is revisited using Flashbacks. From Reception to Year six, we follow our calculation policy, which outlines the progression of strategies and methods to be taught in lessons, staff use correct mathematical terminology and this vocabulary is discussed during lessons, encouraging children to use and explain key vocabulary. We engage in Mastering Number KS1 and KS2 to improve the automaticity of number facts, reducing cognitive load and building pupil confidence.

Assessment is incorporated throughout the lesson through live marking and verbal feedback to ensure misconceptions are identified and addressed promptly. At Kates Hill, we believe all children can achieve and so additional support, ‘scaffolds’ are used to support those who may need them. These ‘scaffolds’ may be in the form of concrete resources; pictorial representations; worked examples; on the spot interventions; same day interventions; pre-teaching; and small group work. For children who understand a concept quicker, challenges are used to deepen and challenge learners further within the curriculum area to avoid acceleration. Mistakes are celebrated as they are seen as opportunities to learn.

All staff are encouraged to raise questions, seek support and request further training if needed to ensure everyone is confident in the maths mastery approach.

Impact

Our learners not only excel in mathematical content but also develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and resilience, equipping them for future learning and everyday life. All learners will be confident, resilient mathematicians who have passion for the subjects and a willingness to tackle challenges. Our pupils will view maths as an exciting and enjoyable subject where they can ask questions, investigate and work collaboratively. Pupils demonstrate pride in their work. Our pupils consistently achieve in line with national averages, demonstrating strong proficiency and mastery in key areas. Our feedback and interventions support children to strive to be the best mathematicians they can be. By the end of Year 6, we aspire that a Kates Hill mathematician will have developed a bank of efficient and accurate skills that can be used to calculate effectively in their journey through KS3 and beyond.

Developing Cultural Capital Through Mathematics

At Kates Hill Primary School, we believe that mathematics is not just about numbers—it’s a powerful tool for understanding the world. Through our Teaching for Mastery approach, we ensure that every child develops a deep, connected understanding of mathematical concepts while also gaining the cultural capital they need to thrive in modern society. We embed opportunities to broaden pupils’ horizons, link learning to real-life contexts, and celebrate the richness of maths in everyday life.

How we promote and develop cultural capital in maths:

We regularly link mathematical concepts to real-world scenarios—such as budgeting, shopping, cooking, travel, and time management—so pupils understand the relevance of maths in their daily lives and future careers.

Pupils learn about influential mathematicians from a range of cultures and backgrounds, such as Ada Lovelace, Srinivasa Ramanujan, and Katherine Johnson, helping them appreciate the global and historical contributions to the subject. Classes celebrate a key mathematician each half term.

We make meaningful cross-curricular links, such as using data in science, patterns in art, and timelines in history, to show how maths underpins many areas of knowledge and human achievement.

Our mastery approach emphasises deep thinking, resilience, and collaboration—skills that are essential for success beyond the classroom and in the wider world.

We provide enrichment opportunities and wider experience such as access to maths competitions, NPSCC Number Day, Times Table Rockstars day. Pupils also have opportunities to apply their maths skills in real-life contexts by helping to plan and run school fayres, manage budgets, and handle money—developing confidence, responsibility, and financial awareness.