At Bournemouth Park we use the written calculation methods set out in the National Curriculum.

In order to assist your child at home, you can head to our video library where our Year 6 pupils will teach you how to add, subtract, multiply and divide just like they do in school! Alternatively, you can view all the methods used in our Calculation Policy and Arithmetic Policy. 

EYFS

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), teaching and learning promotes social skills, and develops the mathematical understanding of young children through a range of practical opportunities to use, enjoy, explore, practise and talk confidently about mathematics. Practical equipment is used to support the teaching and learning of number calculation.

KS1 & KS2

In KS1 and KS2, maths is taught using the White Rose overview and resources, with supplement.

Every lesson is broken down into 4/5 parts:

1. Anchor Task

This begins the lesson, allowing children to tackle a problem relating to the skill they are learning. The problem can generally be solved using a variety of methods, which gives students different points of entry into the lesson, and opportunity for teachers to assess their knowledge. An Anchor Chart is created with the class for the working wall to form a success criteria for that lesson.

2. Journal

Twice a week, children prove their understanding of the skill they have learnt by completing independent journaling, which will either be to explain how they answered the problem, or answer a specific question given in addition to the Anchor Task, from one of the following categories: descriptive, investigative, creative and evaluative.

3. Guided Practice

Children are given time to tackle a set of questions that allow them to apply what they have learnt so far, and teachers are able to spend time consolidating the learning for those who need it. The questions are designed with procedural variation, to move the children's learning on each time. 

4. Independent Work

Children move onto the workbook when they are ready to work independently from the teacher. Again, procedural variation allows children to apply their knowledge in more difficult questions each time.

5. Challenge

When children have grasped the concept, they are given a task that is more difficult or presented in a different way, to challenge them.

Across the school, children receive an additional one hour session that focuses on key skills and arithmetic. This supports their learning of times tables and number bonds, helping them with many other areas of maths learning, and preparing them for formative and summative assessment.

Feedback And Marking In Maths

At Bournemouth Park, we believe that feedback is an integral part of the learning process, and must be precisely positioned and embedded into every lesson. We believe that children benefit from verbal feedback and the opportunity to discuss their learning with their peers and teacher. During a lesson, teachers should be constantly and consistently assessing children’s understanding using a variety of techniques, enabling them to identify and give verbal feedback to individuals or groups of children that need support. We believe that feedback should be instant, and that it should empower children to identify their own strengths and areas for development, and in turn, create independent, self-motivated pupils who have ownership of their learning.

Therefore, written feedback is not provided for children in Maths lessons. Rather, each child is entitled to teacher pupil conferencing time each week. This may be to work through mistakes or consolidate learning, or receive a challenge if working with a greater understanding. Any support given by an adult during the learning time is recorded in green, to show the feedback given. A constant cycle of assessment, feedback and monitoring ensures that all children receive effective support and challenge in Maths.

Children mark their own work in purple pen, and reflect on any mistakes they have made. When working with their peers, they use their orange pen to distinguish this support.

Books are checked every day to ensure that teachers’ knowledge of their pupils’ understanding is used to adapt planning for the following lesson, and shape the conferencing for the children’s needs. Teachers use a rolling assessment process to ensure they have a good understanding of the needs of their pupils against the National Curriculum.

More information, including the non-negotiables of our feedback system, can be found in our Feedback Policy.