White Rose Maths
As a school, we are committed to the belief that all our children can succeed and achieve in maths. Traditionally, Maths has been taught by memorising facts and procedures, this leads to superficial understanding that can easily be forgotten. At Christ Church we work towards the children understanding the facts and methods used in Maths lessons to create a much deeper and thorough learning experience. We are using the Mastery approach to raise standards of mathematical achievement in school and to ensure that all pupils have the skills and strategies that they need to be successful in maths.
Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract
We have adopted the White Rose Maths programme of study in order to provide the pupils with as many different ways of ‘seeing’ maths as possible. All pupils, when introduced to a key new concept (or a concept previously misunderstood), will have the opportunity to build competency in this area by taking this approach.
Concrete
Pupils will have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to demonstrate the idea, to help them understand by creating or making the concept. Numbers and symbols can be used alongside the objects but the task will be done physically and can be explained aloud to others.
Pictorial
Pupils will build on the concrete approach by using pictorial representations, given to them or drawn by them to clarify the process that is being learnt. At this stage, reasoning and problem solving can begin.
Abstract
Pupils will move to an abstract approach with a secure understanding of the concept, using numbers and symbols with confidence.
Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving
Pupils will be given the opportunity to explore and learn through all three approaches, often alongside each other. Quick recall of facts and procedures, flexibility to move between different contexts and representations of maths and the ability to recognise relationships and connections in maths are all necessary to have a deep and lasting understanding of the concept being learnt.
A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered when a child can show it in multiple ways, using appropriate mathematical vocabulary to explain their ideas and can independently apply the concept to new problems in unfamiliar situations.
The White Rose Programme of Study
Planning
Planning for the maths lesson is based on the White Rose blocks and White Rose small steps in conjunction with the record sheet from the previous lesson. The learning questions need to be clear and precise for the lesson especially if they are to be used for assessment purposes.
The main part of the lesson should include opportunities for all children to achieve through carefully differentiated tasks, be that by support, outcome or task. The tasks will begin with concrete equipment and move through to pictorial and abstract over an appropriate number of days. All the Mastery ‘tools’ will be used over the group of lessons including; problem solving, reasoning, fluency, ‘What’s the same, what’s different?’, specific modelling and use of relevant mathematical vocabulary.
All staff should be knowledgeable and confident in age expected outcomes for their year group and for previous year groups in order to provide progression for pupils of all abilities with support available from the Maths Leader.