Maths

Albert Einstein, ‘Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.'

Learning the fundamental concepts of maths is vitally important. That is why we have decided to use the approaches of a well-researched and common-sense approach to maths.

At St James, we understand the importance of secure mathematical understanding in supporting our children to thrive in the real world. We strive to enable all pupils to develop a deep understanding of the mathematics they are learning and we are committed to spending a longer time exploring key concepts, especially number, to develop fluency, promote mathematical reasoning and problem solving and encourage pupils to make connections in their learning.

At St James, we use Power Maths as a basis of our maths lessons. This is an exciting class mastery approach, which has been recommended by the DfE, that works for every child. It is based upon the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach and enables children to be numerate, creative, independent, inquisitive, enquiring and confident. Children should not be afraid to make mistakes and should fully embrace the fact that mistakes are part of learning! A mastery curriculum promotes a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject, so that children become fluent in calculations; possess a growing confidence to reason mathematically and hone their problem-solving skills.

Every lesson is divided into sections that involve plenty of discovery, sharing, collaboration, practice and reflection. Children are encouraged to solve problems each day through the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and abstract thinking.

At the heart of this programme is the idea that all children can achieve and be successful mathematicians with the right growth mindset. It promotes five child friendly characters, each with their own positive skillset, to inspire and motivate children.

This approach enables all of our children to access the relevant learning at their stage, whilst being supported by plenty of hands-on resources and materials.

For more information on our rationale for our Maths curriculum, click here.

Early Years Maths

In the Early Years, children will spend a lot of time talking and learning about the value of number in preparation for their maths learning in KS1 and KS2. They begin their Power Maths journey in Reception which develops children's understanding of number as a building block to future learning.

Stage 2: Curriculum Overviews

Children throughout school follow a mastery approach where time is spent mastering the skills and concepts in mathematics before moving on to new learning.