MARTONGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS POLICY

Transcription

1 MARTONGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS POLICY Revised by: Date: 2012 Liz Fellows

2 MARTONGATE MATHEMATICS POLICY AIMS As with all subject policy documents at Martongate the policy for the teaching of mathematics is within the general aims of the school. Or aim is to provide an entitlement to quality teaching and learning which offers equality of opportunity and encourages all children to develop their abilities to the full with a stimulating, well managed and caring environment. Mathematics is a tool for everyday life. It is a whole network of concepts and relationships which provide a way of viewing and making sense of the world. It is used to analyse and communicate information and ideas and to tackle a range of practical tasks and real life problems. It also provides the materials and means for creating new imaginative worlds to explore. Using the Programmes of Study from the National Curriculum and the National Numeracy Strategy Framework for Teaching Mathematics it is our aim to develop: a positive attitude towards mathematics competence and confidence in mathematical knowledge, concepts and skills an ability to solve problems, to reason, to think logically and to work systematically and accurately. initiative and an ability to work both independently and in cooperation with others an ability to communicate mathematical ideas clearly and effectively to others using a variety of methods including speaking concisely and presenting written work.

3 an ability to use and apply mathematics across the curriculum and in real life an understanding of mathematics through a process of enquiry and experiment SCHOOL POLICY AND THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM Throughout Reception, KS1 and KS2 teachers use objectives taken from the revised NNS Framework (2006) for Teaching Mathematics to ensure that all parts of the National Curriculum Programme of Study are taught. BREADTH OF STUDY At Martongate opportunities are offered to children to develop their mathematical knowledge and skills through tackling problems and through purely mathematical activities. Activities are balanced between those which are short in duration and those which can be developed over a longer period. Children are involved in both individual and group work. Children experience open-ended as well as closed tasks. Children develop a range of methods of calculating. eg. mental, pencil and paper, using a calculator. Children develop skills in using a wide range of mathematical tools through practical work (including computers). Children are enabled to develop their personal qualities and a positive attitude to mathematics through the experiences offered to them. SCHEME OF WORK Our school scheme of work is a working document and as such is composed of ongoing plans produced on a week by week basis. This is developed

4 from the revised NNS Framework and takes into consideration the needs of our children. CROSS-CURRICULAR ISSUES Throughout the whole curriculum opportunities exist to extend and promote mathematics. Teachers seek to take advantage of all opportunities and to make the children aware that the skills they are learning in maths are transferable and useful in other situations. TEACHERS PLANNING AND ORGANISATION Each teacher is responsible for the planning and teaching of mathematics within their class. Where possible, links will be made with the wider curriculum with an emphasis on learning new skills and then using and applying them in order to solve problems and puzzles. PROGRESSION OF KEY SKILLS Calculations Children are taught the four operations using the agreed progression of methods outlined in the school policy for calculations. (See appendix) Using and Applying In line with the revised framework the children are given a wide variety of opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills. They are encouraged and taught how to deal effectively with problem solving, enquiring, representing, communicating and reasoning in a variety of contexts. (See appendix) Key Skills All children work on key maths skills on a daily basis. These are skills that are deemed to be of great importance in order that our children can access the entire mathematics curriculum confidently and with accuracy. Each year group has a set of skills that the children in their class should be competent at by the end of the year which have been devised by the numeracy co-ordinator with input from class teachers where appropriate. These skills show the progression the children

5 should be making in each area throughout their time at Martongate. MATHEMATICAL VOCABULARY Children are expected to know, understand and use accurate mathematical vocabulary associated with the topics they are working on. Displays incorporating the vocabulary children will need are encouraged so that teachers and children can refer to them during the course of a numeracy session. DIFFERENTIATION This should be incorporated into all mathematics lessons and can be done in various ways: Stepped Activities which become more difficult and demanding but cater for the less able in the early sections. Common Tasks which are open ended activities/investigations where differentiation is by outcome. Resourcing which provides a variety of resources depending on abilities eg. counters, cubes, 100 squares, number lines, mirrors. Grouping according to ability so that the groups can be given different tasks when appropriate. Activities are based on the same theme and usually at no more than three levels. SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Although for the purposes of definition, a child with special educational needs is one who falls below a quotient of 85 on a standardised test, it must be recognised that many children may have special needs for periods of time regardless of the score attained in any one particular assessment. Children, who are placed upon the Special Needs Register at Stage 2 or above, will have a termly IEP written by the teacher, which will outline specific targets for those children. If a child has a specific difficulty with mathematics, it should be identified on the IEP along with targets and strategies that the teacher intends to use. When planning units of work, teachers must take IEP s into account.

6 Wherever possible, children with special needs will be taught as a part of their normal class, taking part in whole class taught sessions, with support if appropriate. Follow-up work may be arranged to facilitate their particular needs and the targets outlined in IEP s. It may be helpful to write group IEP s when a clearly identified group of children have similar needs. Teaching Able Pupils At Martongate School, children with one or more abilities developed to a level significantly ahead of their year group, or those with the potential to develop those abilities, are placed on the Able Pupils Register. As with children on the Special Needs Register, special provision should be made for able pupils. High attaining pupils should be helped to progress more rapidly through the Key Objectives for their year and beyond, and opportunities should be provided to apply their knowledge in creative contexts. They should be given opportunities to develop their powers of generalisation and abstraction. RM Maths Children are selected to work on the RM mathematics program in the ICT suite to support their progress through the mathematics curriculum. This links the using and applying element of mathematics and the skills they require to find solutions. Every child works at their own level and pace to ensure they get the most from the program. Dyscalculia Screening Children who have been identified as having a significantly lower mathematics score than literacy score on the standardized tests are tested for dyscalculia. Information from the Dyscalculia Screener booklet is then passed on to the class teacher. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Teachers must ensure that access to, and work in, any part of the mathematics teaching programme is accessible to all groups in our community. Any work and resources presented to children should not show any particular group in a derogatory or demeaning way. Visual resources used should contain positive images of all groups.

7 Teachers should ensure that in oral and interactive lessons all children are invited to participate and that sessions are not dominated by any one group. Teachers should also strive to ensure that there is a culture of success within mathematics sessions and that all groups of children feel a part of that culture. PUPILS RECORDS OF THEIR WORK There are occasions when it is both quick and convenient to carry out written calculations. It is also important to record aspects of mathematical investigations. Children are taught a variety of methods for recording their work and they are encouraged and helped to use the most appropriate and convenient method of recording. Children are encouraged to use mental strategies before resorting to a written algorithm. Exercise Books for Recording It is school policy that the following pattern is used: KS1: plain exercise books Year 3: 1 cm squares Year 4: 1 cm squares gradual move to 7 mm squares when individual children are ready Year 5: 7 mm squares Year 6: 7 mm squares All children are encouraged to work tidily and neatly when recording their work. When using squares one square should be used for each digit. When involved in routine practice of calculations the children are encouraged to fold a page in half creating two columns for answers. MARKING The quality of marking is crucial. A simple X is of little assistance to a child unless accompanied by an indication of where the error occurred,

8 together with an explanation of what went wrong. Marking should be both diagnostic and summative and school policy believes that it is best done through conversation with the child but acknowledges that constraints of time do not always allow this (for more detail see the School Marking Policy). The children themselves can mark exercises which involve routine practice with support and guidance from the teacher. Where appropriate children in Years 5 and 6 are encouraged to check computational exercises with a calculator. This can foster independence in the children, who can seek help if they are unable to locate and correct their errors. ASSESSMENT AND RECORD KEEPING Teachers are expected to make regular assessment of each child s progress. The following is the school policy for assessment in mathematics: Informal Tests of Mental Arithmetic This involves 20 mixed questions given orally every week. This is followed immediately by discussion with the whole class so that any misconception can be put right and the merits of different methods discussed. In Reception the teacher aims to achieve 5 questions by the end of the year. In Year 1 the teacher starts with 5 questions. Informal Assessment Teacher s use of questioning and marking enables them to gauge any areas of strength or weakness for groups or individuals. This is recorded daily. This information is used to inform subsequent teaching and learning. Target Books Teachers use target books with each child to highlight which level the child is working at currently and the objectives they need to meet to progress onto the next level or sub-level. Once a child has shown they are proficient at a particular objective by demonstrating their ability to carry it out independently on three separate occasions, it is highlighted as being achieved. Each child knows which level they are currently working on and the level they are expected to achieve by the end of the school

9 year. This book is passed on each year with the child to their new year group. Formal Assessment In the summer term the children are formally assessed as part of the School s Assessment Policy. TARGET SETTING Numerical targets Teachers set numerical targets for the children in their class at the beginning of each school year. These are based on the level each child achieved at the end of the previous year as well as looking at where they should be by the end of KS1 or KS2. The aim is that each child should make at least one whole level of progress over two school years and any children falling behind this expected amount of progress is monitored and given extra support in the form of small group work, extra RM Maths sessions and catch-up materials such as Springboard. Our aim is to make the targets realistic yet challenging enough to encourage the children to achieve their full potential. Layered targets Whole school targets are set in order that one key area within mathematics may be addressed. Teachers are expected to pay significant attention to these targets when planning and teaching to make them a focus for the term. Teachers keep a record of where each child is working currently, their target for the end of the year and what they actually achieve at the end of the year. Target books Each child has a target book which details various targets for each level within the mathematics curriculum. The children regularly discuss with their teacher the level they are working at and use the target book to discuss what they will need to work on in order that they achieve the next level. These targets are also in the children s home school link book so the children and their parents have easy access to them.

10 REPORTING TO PARENTS Parents are informed of their child s progress in mathematics in relation to their expected level at the end of the academic year. This information is given at parents evening in the Autumn and Spring terms. Reports are completed before the end of the summer term and parents are given opportunity to discuss their child s progress on two separate occasions. Teachers use the information gathered from their half termly assessments to help them comment on individual children s progress. PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT Parents are invited into school three times a year to look at and discuss their children s work. Parents are encouraged to work with their children at home on tasks set by the teacher. Their comments are welcomed on the homework with regard to how independently the child has worked and the level of understanding they feel their child has. Targets for mathematics are included in the home/school link books for parents to consult as they wish. MONITORING AND EVALUATION The mathematics coordinator is released in order to monitor and evaluate the mathematics work happening throughout the school. This time is used to observe lessons, monitor planning and work, support other members of staff and keep up to date with attainment in mathematics throughout school. RESOURCES All teachers should organise an area within the classroom dedicated to

11 mathematics resources. This area is easily accessible to all children and allows them to become familiar with all resources. Resources which are not used or required regularly are stored centrally in the resources room. THE GOVERNING BODY We have identified a numeracy governor who has attended one day National Numeracy Strategy training and is invited to attend relevant school INSET. The numeracy governor visits the school termly to talk with the coordinator, teachers and when possible, observes some daily mathematics lessons. The numeracy governor reports back to the curriculum committee on a regular basis HOMEWORK It is our school policy to provide parents and carers with opportunities to work with their children at home. These activities may only be brief, but are valuable in promoting children s learning in mathematics. (See the separate school Homework Policy) TRANSITION The schools policies on calculation skills and using and applying (see appendix) mean that each child has a solid base to build on throughout school. Each year they are adding to and extending what they have learnt previously. This helps the transition from one year group to the next be as smooth as possible. Reception to Year 1 Children in Reception work on practical activities using a variety of apparatus where teachers work with a focus group rather than the whole class. In Year 1 teachers plan mainly practical activities to begin with moving on to recording activities later on in the school year. Children

12 who, at the end of reception, have not achieved the Early Learning Goals carry on working on these throughout Year 1 and sometimes into Year 2. Year 1 teachers use the foundation stage profile to assess which areas of mathematics the children have strengths and weaknesses in to inform their planning. KS1 KS2 Children in Year 2 begin working in an exercise book in preparation for Year 3. The SAT tests are used for diagnostic assessment during Year 2 and the information gathered from these is used by the Year 3 teachers. Year 6 to Year 7 Transition materials and sessions are organised yearly. This allows the children to become familiar with the teaching methods and members of staff from the secondary schools that the majority of our children will attend. SATs results and teacher assessments are passed on the appropriate secondary school to provide a smooth transition for each pupil.