At Burnside, pupils receive a high-quality mathematical education which equips them with a strong set of tools that they can use in everyday life to understand the world. Our pupils work with a wide range of teaching for mastery activities to build excitement and curiosity about the subject whilst becoming more fluent and confident in the field of mathematics. 
 

Teaching for Mastery

Through teaching for mastery, pupils deepen their understanding of mathematics, rather than memorising key procedures or resorting to rote learning. The three key principles of mastery are: 

• conceptual understanding is key; 
• pupils must be able to speak in full sentences applying correct mathematical vocabulary;
• pupils can learn to think like mathematicians. 

We use the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach as one of our main mastery approaches and it is being implemented from Reception to Year 6. Concrete and pictorial representations of number are used before moving on to the abstract. Building these steps across a lesson helps pupils better understand the value of digits and the relationship between numbers and the real word.

Pupils then build fluency by learning their number bonds, times tables and increasing their knowledge and rapid recall of number facts.
 

How we teach mathematics
We look to ensure that all pupil develop firm mathematical foundations in a way that is engaging and appropriate for their age right from the start.
 
Early Years
In Nursery and Reception, mathematics learning focuses on the Early Year Foundation Stage Framework, following the interests of children and learning through play using indoor and outdoor continuous provision opportunities. There are six key areas of mathematics learning in the EYFS framework, which collectively provide a platform for everything Burnside children will encounter as they progress through their maths learning at our school, and beyond: 
 
1.    Cardinality and counting; 
2.    Comparison;
3.    Composition;
4.    Pattern;
5.    Shape and space;
6.    Measures. 

In Reception, in addition to continuous provision, explicit maths teaching happens through: 
•    A daily maths lesson of up to 30 minutes via White Rose Maths and/or NCETM Mastering Number.
•    An additional 15 minute ‘Winning with Number’ fluency session.
Planned Table activities support the skills covered in lessons and class adults record interactions and observations.

Key Stages 1 and 2
Mathematics is taught daily in the following sequence: 
•    A mental maths session of up to 20 minutes;
•    A daily maths lesson of up to 1 hour.

Mental maths sessions follow two of the following programmes, depending on the year group: 
•    ‘Winning with Numbers’ fluency programme (Reception, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2)
•    Times Tables Rock Stars (Key Stage 2)

Pupils work with a wide range of activities that teach them key mathematical concepts, solve problems, develop their mental skills and reason mathematically. 
 
Small-step teaching takes place to ensure all pupils understand key concepts before they exposed to new ones. All key prior knowledge is regularly revisited and all pupils have the opportunity to apply their understanding to rich and deep mathematical problems.
 

Our partnership with the Great North Maths Hub coordinated by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) enables us to develop and spread excellent practice benefiting all pupils, staff and partnership schools by leading improvement in mathematics education. Working with the NCETM and Maths Hub provides our school with: 

• Continuing professional development from primary maths specialists;
• Participation in collaborative teacher research work groups and projects; 
• National networking opportunities with mathematics educational professionals;
• Opportunities for staff to be agents of professional development.

 How to support mathematics learning at home

If children are to be fluent in mathematics, we believe they require quick and accurate recall of facts. Each week, pupils are expected to rehearse these facts at home by logging onto our accessible online platforms three times a week for at least 5 minutes a day.

We have access to both NumBots and Times Tables Rock Stars which are online maths mastery EdTech platforms created by Maths Circle. Both NumBots and Times Tables Rock Stars can be accessed via the same login given by class teachers. 

Times Tables Rock Stars can be accessed via the login given by class teachers.

NumBots

NumBots equips each pupil with the
 set of core maths skills they require: 

• Subitising;
• Number bonds;
• Addition and subtraction.

Times Tables Rock Stars 

TT Rock Stars is a carefully sequenced programme of daily times tables practice.

Each week concentrates on a different times table, with a recommended consolidation week, which occurs approximately every three weeks, for rehearsing the tables that have recently been practised.