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Maths

Mathematics Intent

At Bottesford Schools Federation, we are committed to providing a comprehensive mathematics curriculum that meets the diverse needs of all pupils. Our aim is to equip children with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding required for success in their subsequent educational journey and in life. We provide a flexible and progressive curriculum that develops strong mathematical foundations alongside pupils’ ability to apply their knowledge to reasoning, problem-solving and real-life situations.

Ambition for All

Our Mathematics curriculum reflects our school vision “We RISE together” – do what’s right, help others, reach your best!

We have high expectations for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. We believe that all children can achieve highly in mathematics when provided with the appropriate support, challenge and opportunities to succeed. Teachers use bespoke scaffolds, resources and representations to remove barriers to learning, while providing appropriate stretch and challenge so that all pupils can achieve aspirational outcomes.

Our curriculum is designed to develop secure mathematical foundations while enabling every pupil to build confidence, fluency and independence. We recognise that pupils may require different levels of support and different pathways to reach the same ambitious goals, and we adapt teaching accordingly. We aim for all pupils to become confident mathematicians who are willing to persevere, take risks and embrace challenge.

Evidence-Informed Curriculum Design

Our mathematics curriculum is carefully sequenced to develop knowledge progressively, enabling pupils to build on prior learning and make meaningful connections between mathematical concepts. Our pedagogical approaches are informed by evidence from cognitive science, including spaced repetition, interleaving and frequent retrieval practice. These approaches support pupils to retain essential knowledge in their long-term memory and develop secure mathematical mastery.

Arithmetic lessons reinforce and embed essential methods, while daily timetable practice develops automaticity, fluency and pattern recognition. Frequent opportunities to retrieve and revisit previously taught knowledge help pupils to retain key mathematical concepts and procedures and apply them confidently in new contexts.

Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract Learning

To support pupils in developing secure conceptual understanding, we use a wide range of concrete, pictorial and abstract resources and representations. These provide pupils with appropriate tools to support successful learning and enable them to progress from practical experiences towards increasingly abstract mathematical thinking.

Pupils are encouraged to make connections between different representations, explain their thinking and recognise how mathematical ideas relate to one another. They explore patterns and relationships within mathematics, developing an understanding of how concepts connect across different areas of the subject and, where appropriate, across the wider curriculum.

Oracy and Mathematical Thinking

We place significant emphasis on oracy as an essential life skill. We aim to cultivate a vocabulary-rich mathematical environment in which pupils have frequent opportunities to orally rehearse mathematical concepts, explain their thinking and articulate their reasoning.

Through purposeful mathematical talk, pupils develop the confidence and vocabulary needed to explain how and why they have reached a solution. They are encouraged to listen and respond to the ideas of others, compare different approaches, justify their decisions and challenge mathematical thinking respectfully. This strengthens conceptual understanding while developing communication, reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Real-Life and Active Learning

We want pupils to understand that mathematics is not simply a collection of procedures to be learnt, but a subject that helps them make sense of the world around them. Purposeful, challenge- and immersion-based learning connects classroom knowledge with contextual and real-life experiences, enabling pupils to recognise the relevance and value of mathematics beyond the classroom.

Pupils are encouraged to apply their mathematical knowledge to authentic situations, identify mathematical patterns in everyday life and make connections across different subjects. These experiences develop independence, resilience, curiosity and a willingness to apply learning in unfamiliar contexts, supporting pupils to become confident, capable and lifelong learners.

Active Engagement

Lessons prioritise active participation and learning by doing as well as by being taught. Practical tasks, investigations, mathematical challenges, collaborative activities and projects provide opportunities for pupils to explore concepts, test ideas, apply knowledge and develop their mathematical thinking.

Pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively, discuss different approaches and learn from mistakes. This active approach develops independence and mathematical resilience while ensuring that pupils are engaged in meaningful and purposeful learning experiences.

Our Federation Principles in Mathematics

Our federation principles are woven throughout our mathematics curriculum, ensuring that pupils develop not only as mathematicians but also as respectful, responsible, resilient and empowered individuals.

Respect

Mathematics provides purposeful opportunities for pupils to develop respect for diversity, community and faith. Through assemblies, themed project weeks and cross-curricular links, pupils explore how mathematics is used and understood across different cultures, communities and contexts.

Within lessons, pupils are encouraged to listen to different mathematical approaches, value the ideas of others and recognise that there may be more than one valid way to solve a problem. Mathematical discussion and collaborative learning promote respectful communication and an appreciation of different perspectives.

Integrity

We encourage pupils to demonstrate honesty, responsibility and integrity in their mathematical learning. Pupils are taught to take ownership of their work, acknowledge mistakes and use them as opportunities to improve.

Restorative approaches, alongside curriculum-based debate and opportunities to explore ethical questions, help pupils consider the consequences of decisions and develop a strong sense of responsibility. In mathematics, this is reflected in pupils being encouraged to explain their reasoning honestly, check their work carefully and take responsibility for their learning.

Strive

We encourage every pupil to strive for their personal best. Carefully scaffolded challenges and clearly identified progress steps enable pupils to recognise their own development and understand what they need to do next.

Our Bronze, Silver and Gold approach provides increasingly challenging opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge, fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills. Pupils are encouraged to persevere when faced with difficulty, learn from mistakes and celebrate incremental achievements. This develops resilience and reinforces the belief that mathematical success comes through effort, practice and effective learning strategies.

Empowerment

We aim to develop pupils who are independent, confident and empowered learners. Pupil voice is incorporated into projects and challenge-based learning, giving children opportunities to make choices, contribute ideas and take ownership of their learning.

Investigations, collaborative projects and opportunities to showcase learning enable pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge in purposeful contexts and recognise the value of their own ideas. By developing independence, agency and confidence, we prepare pupils to use mathematics effectively beyond the classroom and throughout their lives.

Building Mathematical Fluency

At Bottesford Schools Federation, we place great importance on ensuring that pupils develop a strong grasp of essential mathematical knowledge and skills. We recognise that secure foundational knowledge is vital for pupils to access increasingly complex mathematical thinking.

We deliver weekly arithmetic lessons that focus on reinforcing and embedding essential methods. In addition, daily times-table practice develops pupils’ automaticity, recall and pattern recognition. Frequent retrieval and rehearsal enable children to become increasingly fluent and confident, allowing them to use their working memory effectively for reasoning, problem-solving and higher-order mathematical thinking.

By the End of KS2, a Bottesford Schools Federation Mathematician will:

  • Confidently and accurately apply the four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

  • Fluently recall times tables and related number facts.

  • Understand place value and use this knowledge efficiently when calculating.

  • Apply mathematical concepts and skills confidently to real-world situations.

  • Use appropriate mathematical vocabulary to explain, justify and evaluate solutions.

  • Identify and describe patterns and relationships in numbers, shapes and mathematical structures.

  • Select and apply appropriate strategies when solving mathematical problems.

  • Solve multi-step problems involving reasoning, problem-solving and mathematical thinking.

  • Make connections between different areas of mathematics and apply prior learning in new and unfamiliar contexts.

  • Work independently and collaboratively, demonstrating resilience and perseverance when faced with mathematical challenges.

  • Recall and apply essential mathematical knowledge securely and confidently.

  • Respect the ideas and approaches of others and contribute positively to mathematical discussion and collaboration.

  • Demonstrate integrity by taking responsibility for their learning, checking their work and learning from mistakes.

  • Strive to achieve their personal best, recognising and celebrating their progress.

  • Feel empowered to make decisions, communicate their ideas and apply mathematics independently.

  • Develop the confidence, independence, curiosity and resilience needed to use mathematics effectively in everyday life.