Mathematics
Our Aim ​
Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected subject that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary in most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education, therefore, provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. At Wath Central, we aim to provide children with mathematical proficiency which involves confidence and competence with a range of disciplines. As a team, we offer children a curriculum that promotes a fluent understanding of the number system, an ability to solve problems and the skills required to mathematically reason. Our lessons are engaging, challenging and supportive. The children leave our school with a skill set that will become an integral part of their success in the future.
​​Our Strategy
To achieve this, we aim:
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To plan small, achievable steps when delivering our curriculum. By spending longer on topics, working in small steps and presenting concepts in a concrete and pictorial way, children are able to explore mathematics in greater depth
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​To teach key concepts that are crucial to children’s futures, enabling them to gain a secure understanding of the number system and retain skills that can be applied in a range of contexts. ​
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To use visual representations, practical resources, varied fluency, and opportunities for mathematical reasoning and problem-solving to develop confident mathematicians.
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​To revisit key skills regularly to ensure learning is embedded.​
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To incorporate challenging and engaging fluency, reasoning and problem-solving activities into lessons. ​
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To support children in their ability to explain, investigate and question the mathematics they are learning.
These aims are implemented through a consistent lesson structure, based on the CUSP six phase approach and adapted as our Teaching and Learning Model, which supports pupils in building knowledge and skills progressively within each lesson:
Connect
Each lesson begins with a mental/oral starter. This includes counting linked to an identified objective from the Maths Passport. No new learning is introduced at this stage.
Explain
The learning question is introduced and shared with pupils, outlining what they will be learning and doing during the lesson.
Example
The teacher explicitly models the new skill, ensuring pupils are actively listening and observing high-quality mathematical thinking and methods.
Attempt
Pupils are given the opportunity to attempt the new learning. This provides an immediate opportunity for assessment, allowing teachers to identify pupils who have secured the concept and those who may need additional support.
Apply
Pupils independently apply their learning to focused independent work. This may be practical or recorded in books, depending on the learning intention.
Challenge
Teachers explicitly model how to approach reasoning and problem-solving questions. Opportunities for challenge and reasoning are also embedded within the application stage where appropriate.
At Wath Central, we use the White Rose Planning Tool to support a flexible and consistent approach to mathematics across EYFS, KS1 and KS2. White Rose underpins our medium-term planning, breaking learning down into carefully sequenced small steps within each unit. This enables teachers to structure the learning journey effectively, ensuring that key skills and procedures are explicitly taught, practised and assessed.
We use an adapted calculation policy to support the teaching of the four operations. This has been developed using White Rose materials alongside additional resources, and follows a clear progression from concrete to pictorial to abstract representations. It is a working document, which is regularly reviewed and refined to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our pupils.
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To ensure clear progression across year groups, we use the NCETM progression grids to provide an overview of how key concepts develop from Year 1 to Year 6. These documents support teachers in understanding prior and future learning, while White Rose refines this progression into smaller, manageable steps within each unit. Using the NCETM objectives, we have developed our own assessment passports, which teachers use to assess pupils in Years 1–6 and track their progress over time.
Reasoning and problem-solving are central to our mathematics provision. All children are exposed to a range of questions that promote discussion, explanation and deeper thinking. Number fluency is developed through a clear progression of key skills across each year group, with teachers adapting their approaches to counting, place value and calculation to meet the needs and understanding of their pupils.
We also provide meaningful opportunities for children to apply their mathematical skills in real-life and engaging contexts. This helps pupils to recognise the relevance of mathematics in everyday life, while promoting deeper understanding and enjoyment of the subject.
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EYFS
Our EYFS mathematics curriculum is designed to foster a deep, sustainable understanding of number and shape, ensuring every child develops a secure Foundational Knowledge that serves as the base for their future mathematical journey. We believe that early success in maths is not just about rote counting, but about developing a rich "number sense"—the ability to visualize, manipulate, and reason with numbers.
We use the Early Years Progression document written by staff specifically for our children, keeping in mind our school context, which is based on the EYFS 2020 Early Learning Goal statements. This is used alongside the WhiteRose Planning Tool and CUSP maths scheme, which then provides a planned, long-term progressive sequence of learning. This ensures that mathematical concepts are mastered in small steps before moving to more complex ideas.
We intend for our pupils to become confident mathematical communicators. We explicitly teach the vocabulary required to describe patterns, compare quantities, and explain their reasoning.
Our Goal: By the end of the Foundation Stage, our pupils will be: "mathematically fluent"—possessing the subitising skills, knowledge about numerical patterns, and verbal reasoning skills necessary to transition seamlessly into the Key Stage 1 curriculum.
Calculation Policy - This policy demonstrates how children are taught the four operations using concrete, visual and abstract representations.
​Key Skills - ​This document shows the key mathematical skills that children are taught in Maths Meetings. These are the skills children are expected to recall mentally and with jottings.
What To Expect Document - This document demonstrates the expectation of Mathematics in Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception)
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Progression Maps
These documents from the NCETM show the progression of skills from year 1 to year 6. The grids will show you what the children are taught in each year group for Place Value, Addition and Subtraction and Multiplication and Division.
Reasoning Progression Maps
These grids demonstrate how teachers at Wath Central challenge children to apply the skills they have learnt in a variety of different contexts. Children are explicitly taught how to mathematically reason and are given regular opportunities to apply their reasoning and problem solving skills.