Our maths specialist is Miss Hill (NPQML Maths)

Read more about the mathematics curriculum here:

Mathematics Curriculum Intent: Our Mathematics teaching is underpinned by the belief that all children need a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning. We intend for all pupils at St Matthew's to develop a sound understanding of Mathematics, equipping them with the skills of calculation, reasoning and problem solving that they need in life beyond school.

Our bespoke St Matthew’s lesson design identifies the new mathematics that is to be taught, the key points, the difficult points and a carefully sequenced journey through learning.

Lesson Structure

The Mathematics Curriculum: Our Vision

“Pure mathematics is in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.”

- Albert Einstein.

At St Matthew’s, we believe that all children can, and will, succeed in mathematics. Mathematics teaches us how to make sense of the world around us through developing a child’s ability to calculate, to reason and to solve problems. Mathematicians are able to reason, explain, work systematically and apply their mathematical knowledge to a range of situations and problems. It enables children to understand and appreciate relationships and patterns in both number and space in their everyday lives.

We encourage pupils to have a positive attitude to maths and we work hard to ensure they develop strong mathematical skills and knowledge. We develop a culture where children persevere and are resilient when they are faced with challenging mathematical concepts. We foster positive can do attitudes and we promote the fact that ‘We can all do maths!’ We believe all children can achieve in mathematics, and teach for secure and deep understanding of mathematical concepts through manageable steps.

At St Matthew’s, we follow a mastery approach for the teaching of Mathematics to develop children’s understanding and reasoning on a deeper level. Through our involvement with the North West Maths Hub, senior leaders and teachers have worked together to create a bespoke, carefully sequenced, lesson design to ensure a consistent learning journey throughout school. Children are taught through whole-class interactive teaching, where the focus is on all children working together on the same lesson content whilst at the same time, challenging and supporting pupils to gain depth of understanding and proficiency.

Our whole school curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability or additional needs, to flourish and to become the very best version of themselves. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. Our units of work are planned based on the National Curriculum Programmes of Study and content is delivered in small, manageable steps. In addition, we use NCETM materials to further enhance our curriculum to ensure that we deliver ambitious and progressive lessons. Children are challenged through careful questioning and supported through the use of concrete materials and visual representations to develop a deep conceptual understanding. 

We ensure that before moving to the next step, all children can master concepts. Our pupils are expected to reason and clearly explain their thinking using mathematical vocabulary to explain why an answer is correct or incorrect. Knowledge organisers are used within each unit of work to give pupils the ‘bigger picture’ of specific mathematical concepts, support their learning and enable them to make links to previous work.  

Children who are finding it difficult to grasp concepts access further adult support to ensure that all children are maintaining progress. We also utilise our more able learners as coaches within lessons to develop their ability to explain their reasoning and to provide support for peers. We identify misconceptions as starting places for concept building and use this to respond to the needs of each pupil, allowing additional time before moving on.