Maths

At Heathland school, we believe that maths is an important part of everyday life. Through a next steps approach, we aim to ensure that each child has the opportunity to excel in their understanding of maths. Next steps learning is an integral part of every maths lesson with pupils working on differentiated targets according to their level of learning. In their next step groups, pupils are encouraged to support each other by talking about their learning and to independently select resources to tackle different concepts.

Mental Fluency & Facts

Maths lessons at Heathland are designed to secure and embed concepts using White Rose maths and Deepening Understanding. To ensure that mathematical skills are embedded, we follow a whole school approach: children are taught a new skill, they develop strategies to apply the new skill in a range of contexts and explain and justify their understanding by reasoning and problem solving. Maths is well resourced at Heathland with the provision of equipment for all areas of maths learning and each classroom is equipped with resources for use on a daily basis to build children’s understanding.

While pupils are working through new concepts and problems, children are encouraged to use concrete and pictorial representations to build and secure strategies and methods. As pupil’s conceptual understanding increases, the use of resources is reduced, but still supported in focussed next step groups. In addition to structured maths lessons, we also enjoy monthly maths reasoning challenges and compete in organised competitions with schools.

Multiplication Division Facts

Times tables and division facts is an underpinning concept used in many areas of maths. As a statutory requirement, by the time that children reach Year 4, they are expected to be able to recall multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12 tables and are formally assessed at the end of Year 4. All teachers support children in school in lessons and through maths interventions. To further embed and encourage the learning of multiplication and division facts, all of KS2 participate in a half termly times table challenge against other classes where the winning class receive a prize. This challenge has been modified over the years to involve different formats and layouts to ensure children are truly fluent in these facts.

Number Facts

Basic numbers facts such as number bonds is also an essential skill which children need to be fluent in number. All teachers support children in lessons and interventions to secure number facts including number bonds. Similar to the KS2 times table challenge, KS1 children begin participating in number bond challenges to ensure rapid recall of these facts

Please click the images below to find ways to help your child with their Maths learning at home.