We aim to provide all pupils with some direct teaching every day, which is oral, interactive and stimulating. Teaching styles and lesson structure provide opportunities for pupils to consolidate their previous learning, use and apply their knowledge, understanding and skills, pose and ask questions, investigate mathematical ideas, reflect on their own learning and make links with other work.

Our approach to teaching is based on these key principles:

• a dedicated mathematics’ lessons every day
• direct teaching and interactive oral work
• an emphasis on mental calculation
• activities differentiated in a manageable way so that all pupils are engaged in mathematics related to a common theme
• opportunities for investigation

Our classrooms are stimulating learning environments. Displays contain a mixture of:

• problems to stimulate imagination
• prompts to help pupils develop an image of number and the number system (for example number squares and number lines) and to help them remember key facts and vocabulary;
• pupils’ work which celebrates achievement.

Children are assessed in a variety of ways:

• short, informal tests focusing on rapid recall of mental calculation skills
• homework and other informal tests (which are often followed immediately by marking and discussion with the whole class)

Assessment activities are planned which involve a range of ideas and skills linked to one or more of the key objectives covered previously. As a result of these assessments, individual targets are discussed with pupils. These targets are related to the list of key objectives. Parents are kept informed about these through Parent Evenings.

Long-term assessments are undertaken through a combination of teacher assessment and end of year tests. The tests used are the national tests at the end of Year 2 and 6 and class based assessments are used in other year groups. 

A Mathematician from the Three Rivers Federation will:

• be passionate about mathematics and enjoy using it
• have spatial sense and the ability to appreciate patterns and structures of number and shapes in the world around them
• be courageous and happy to make mistakes in order to learn from them
• be confident and proud of their work in mathematics 
• have the ability to think, communicate, and solve problems
• be prepared and confident enough to support others to understand the mathematical skills needed in life.