Mathematics at Locks Heath Junior School

At Locks Heath Junior School we see mathematics as an essential tool for interpreting and making sense of the world we live in. We aim to equip children with the skills and understanding they will need to confidently solve problems and apply those skills in the real world.

Our curriculum is a mastery curriculum with the aim that all pupils develop a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning. We aim for all children to be challenged through rich and sophisticated problems rather than accelerating to new concepts. We focus on mathematical thinking by encouraging pupils to give examples, look for patterns and discuss the rules of the concept in order to deepen their understanding. We develop conceptual understanding by representing concepts using concrete apparatus, models and images. We encourage children to make connections between different representations of a concept and think about what we can learn from them, considering which representation would be most appropriate when solving problems. We develop pupils’ language and communication skills by encouraging pupils to explain their understanding or interpretation of a problem. When problem solving and reasoning, they justify and prove their solutions using mathematical language, they ask questions and create their own problems to solve. All of these activities act as a scaffold to deepen the children’s mathematical understanding and their ability to reason.

Problem solving and reasoning is at the heart of all mathematics teaching at LHJS. Through problem solving we aim for children to see the purpose of learning different concepts and skills and aim to develop their fluency and proficiency in these in order to solve problems. Reasoning is crucial to developing a deep understanding of mathematical concepts that will then stay with pupils as they continue to reason about problems in the real world.

In order to become effective problem solvers, children need to be able to draw upon a number of different skills when they are required to. We aim to develop fluency and a deep understanding of these concepts through a Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract approach. We use concrete equipment (e.g. Dienes, place value discs, bar models) to ensure that children are able to have direct experience of the concept they are developing. Alongside the concrete apparatus we use models and images to help the children develop a pictorial representation of the concept that they can draw upon when applying the skill. Once the concept has been explored through concrete apparatus and we have built up a visual image of the concept, the abstract (manipulating using symbols) would then be taught alongside the apparatus and pictorial representations.

At Locks Heath Junior School we teach mathematics according to the National Curriculum and assess mathematics using the Hampshire Assessment Model.  Details of what aspects of mathematics are assessed and when can be found below.

Details of the methods of calculating the four rules of number can be found in the policies below.

If you have any questions or require any further information about how mathematics is taught at Locks Heath Junior School, please contact Mrs Sarah Weatherill (Maths Lead).

s.weatherill@locksheath-jun.hants.sch.uk