Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline 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 for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
We believe that whilst it is important to learn number facts and times tables, mathematics teaching has focussed on this for too long, with children not always being able to apply and manipulate what they have rote-learned.
As such, we use the ‘Maths No Problem’ scheme of work across KS1 and KS2. This scheme provides lessons, textbooks (DFE approved) and workbooks for all children and is firmly based on the mastery approach to maths.
Maths — No Problem! is a comprehensive series that adopts a spiral design with carefully built-up mathematical concepts and processes adapted from the maths mastery approaches used in Singapore. The Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (C-P-A) approach forms an integral part of the learning process through the materials developed for this series.
Maths — No Problem! incorporates the use of concrete aids and manipulatives, problem-solving and group work.
All elements of maths are taught through the Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract progression through which children can explore maths with manipulatives such as denes rods, then apply that maths to images, before answering number-based questions.
Children are taught through whole-class interactive teaching, where the focus is on all children working together on the same lesson content at the same time, although some are supported to do this.
This approach ensures that all can master concepts before moving to the next step, allowing no child to be left behind. Our children are expected to reason and clearly explain their thinking. We firmly believe that the answer is ‘only the beginning’ and our children need to try to explain why an answer is correct or not.
