At Our Lady of Lourdes we believe that all pupils can achieve and enjoy Maths through good teaching, providing appropriate resources, practical application and fostering a ‘can do’ attitude.

Our lessons provide all children, regardless of ability, with the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of concepts through exploration, practice and application. We believe that children need both time to explore new concepts in detail and time to have sufficient practice to develop fluency.

Where some children grasp concepts rapidly, we provide appropriate challenge to deepen their understanding of concepts rather than moving into new learning too quickly. For children who may not grasp concepts as easily as others may, we aim to provide both timely and regular intervention so that we are able to try to narrow the gaps in attainment whilst raising the attainment for all.

At Our Lady of Lourdes Maths is taught using the Lancashire Maths Planning resource.  This ensures that our children have full coverage of the NC and allow our children to revisit topics several times over the year to embed knowledge.  It also ensures progression and coverage of the National Curriculum 2014.

 We support children’s learning through ‘Concrete – Pictorial – Abstract’, to ensure that children develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning. Children have access in all lessons to maths aids (number lines, base 10, number beads, multiplication squares) and are able to access them independently where needed. Teachers implement the school’s agreed calculations policy for progression in written and mental calculations.

Assessments (Lancashire Assessments) are carried out approximately once a term, to help teachers to gather a picture of what children have learned that term. This then informs the ‘next steps’ for that particular child. Formative assessment is incredibly important at OLOL, where we focus on challenge questions, mini plenaries and discussion with peers. Mathematical vocabulary is taught within lessons to ensure that there is a consistency of correct mathematical vocabulary being used across the school. Floor books and discussion are also used to form part of the judgement given each term.

Children’s fluency is developed through practising key skills, repeating, reinforcing and revising. Children practise the 4 operations of maths (Add, Subtract, Multiply and Divide) and are given opportunities to reason and solve problems regularly in all areas of mathematics. Children work both collaboratively and independently when solving problems, which require them to persevere and develop resilience.

The impact of our mathematics curriculum is that children understand the relevance of what they are learning in relation to real world concepts. We endeavour to foster an environment where Maths is fun and it is OK to be ‘wrong’ because the journey to finding an answer is the most important.

Our maths books are packed with a range of activities showing evidence of fluency, reasoning and problem solving.

Our feedback and interventions are supporting children to strive to be the best mathematicians they can be ensuring a greater proportion of children are on track. At the end of the year we expect the children to have achieved year group expectations or made progress from their starting points.  Some children will have progressed further and others who have gaps in their learning receive appropriate intervention. 

We assess the children formally at the end of each term and also informally throughout our daily teaching. 

Our children will have a confident and valid set of mathematical skills and knowledge supported by Christian values which can be used to not only further their education but help them in their life’s journey. They will have learnt more, remembered more, enjoyed and developed creatively, spiritually, socially and emotionally, enabling them to be ready for the next stage of their education.