Teach us to number our days so that we may get a heart of wisdom.  Psalm 90:12

At St. John’s CE (A) Primary School, our aim is to equip our pupils with the life skills they need to be able to flourish in the real world; become fluent in the fundamentals of; and promote a love of maths. We aim to ensure that, regardless of background and ability, every pupil has a rich and meaningful mathematics education. Both staff and pupils understand the importance varied and frequent practise with increasingly complex problems over time. As maths is an interconnected subject, this is taught to give children the courage to apply their understanding; reason about maths; problem solve and make connections across the subject and the wider curriculum.

 

Power Maths

As a school, we follow the Power Maths scheme of learning. Power Maths is one of only two Department for Education accredited Maths schemes available in the UK. Lessons are taught in blocks around a strand, allowing children to master the concept. Long Term Plans for this are available for each year group at the bottom of this page.

Lessons begin with a concept cartoon, which engages all learners and allows the children to recognise how their learning in Maths lessons can be applied in real-world scenarios. Children then work with staff to develop their understanding of concepts whilst using concrete resources and pictorial representations to strengthen and deepen their knowledge.   

 

Early Years Foundation Stage

At St. John's, children begin their learning in Maths right from day 1. Children in the Nursery follow the 'Mastering the Curriculum' scheme, which has been specially devised to support the teaching of Maths in a nursery setting. Each week, the children have a new focus for their learning in lessons and this is supported by a variety of activities and songs which can be taught in lessons but can also enrich a child's learning at home, too. In addition to Maths lessons, there are always Maths-based activities for the children to explore as part of their continuous provision.    

In Reception, the children begin to follow the Power Maths scheme of learning, which they will then continue to learn from right through to the end of their time with us. The children have three lessons a week and learning is supported by a range of activities, including 'Muddy Mondays' where the focus of their learning will be an activity outside. Like Nursery, children continue to have access to Maths-based activities as part of their continuous provision.

Children in Reception also begin to engage with the National Centre For Excellence In Teaching Mathematics' "Mastering Number" scheme. This a vital scheme which embeds and strengthens children's understanding of early number. Creating a firm foundation of the understanding of flexibility of numbers helps children with their understanding and achievements later in life. A video introducing you to the scheme is available here. Overviews of the Mastering Number scheme are available at the bottom of the page.

We also subscribe to Numbots (see below) to help support your child's learning in Maths. Numbots is a fun, enticing and interactive way for your children to continue to develop their knowledge of number at home.  

Multiplication Tables

Learning multiplication tables is extraordinarily necessary because it is one of the fundamental topics connecting to different mathematical operations. Multiplication table charts make maths easy and are, after all, the building blocks of mathematics.

An overview of how we teach multiplication tables and what you can be covering at home with your child is available at the bottom of this page. 

If you're looking for videos to help support your children's learning of multiplication tables, at St. John's, we recommend using the Number Blocks videos made by the BBC. This resource uses characters and representations your children are familiar with through their learning in Reception and Key Stage 1.  Tese videos are free and easily available on BBC iPlayer.