At Old Hall, we believe that every child should succeed in Mathematics. Education in Mathematics can develop our pupils’ ability to make sense of the world around them, through the application of mathematical knowledge and reasoning. It aims to instil in pupils a sense of excitement about the subject and a spirit of curiosity which encourages them to explore patterns and relationships in both number and space.

Mathematics at Old Hall provides an essential foundation for later development of skills across all aspects of science, technology and engineering and which are, more generally, relevant to most areas of employment.

Our Core Aims At Old Hall

The aims of our Mathematics curriculum are:

• to promote enjoyment & enthusiasm for learning through practical activities, exploration and group discussions

• to develop a solid understanding of the key concepts underpinning the number system

• to promote fluency and flexibility in choosing and applying calculation methods

• to develop the ability to solve problems through resilience, decision-making and reasoning in a range of contexts

• to explore features of shape and space whilst developing measuring skills in a range of 'real-world' contexts

• to create, explore and explain patterns and relationships across in number and space

• to develop a practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered and presented

• to understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life

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Engagement 

Sometimes lessons at Old Hall combines whole-class teaching with time for our pupils to work within groups or individually. A range of activities are provided to cater for different styles of learning (visual, aural and kinaesthetic) and for the range of abilities within the class. Frequent use is made of concrete resources, games, puzzles and problems which encourage participation and which have open-ended outcomes to stimulate pupils’ exploration which may be on a 'trial and error' basis. 

Reasoning

Our pupils are eagerly encouraged, wherever possible, to discover solutions to mathematical problems for themselves. In doing so, they develop their ability to think logically, to approach problems systematically and to be resilient in the face of difficulty. They are prompted to break problems down into smaller steps, to employ trial-and-improvement methods and to reflect on their work. 'Pupil talk' is encouraged at Old Hall as this is a core component in how children develop and clarify their mathematical thinking; as pupils progress, they are increasingly expected to explain, as well as describe, what they have done (and how they did it). They are challenged to investigate if they could have done it in a different way. These skills are applied across a wide range of contexts covering number, shape and space and real-world problems.

Understanding 

A number of key concepts underpin Mathematics and it is essential that our children develop a sound understanding of these at an early stage. Examples include the 'base 10 place value system', the relationship between multiplication & addition, and the connection between fractions and division. Conceptual understanding is initially built through ample use of everyday objects, starting with toys for developing early counting. Pupils then move on to visual representations, such as number lines or sketches, before they encounter and use the concepts in an abstract form. It is important that these stages are not rushed; shortcuts taken here result in insecure understanding which leads to problems further on.

At Old Hall, no pupil is left-behind and we ensure that intervention sessions are held for pupils that need that extra bit of encouragement to fulfil their full potential.

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Fluency 

At Old Hall our pupils are taught to learn by-heart the basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. These give them confidence to approach harder calculations as well as serving as building blocks to help solve them. We strongly encourage the use of engaging, fun and repetitive songs to bolster this initial learning. 

A range of written and mental calculation methods are taught. Our pupils are encouraged to develop their decision-making skills, thinking flexibly about how to apply what they know in the most effective way in the context of specific problems. Mental Mathematics is practised daily throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. This regular practice allows pupils to build speed, reliability and confidence and provides essential support to the parallel development of written calculation skills.

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Our Classes

Pupils are taught in classes which include a range of mathematical attainment. We provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the child. Pupils are stretched through tasks which deepen their understanding and mastery of the concepts involved. Pupils are also supported through provision of physical and visual resources and, where appropriate, teaching assistants. A range of strategies, including directed questions and guided group work, are used to engage and involve all pupils. 

Maths Help

Try the weekly problem from Nrich or just browse some of the other sites recommended to encourage your child to have fun with Maths.

These are prompts created with a specific test level or 'stage' in mind.