Mathematics
Mathematics is far more than the work we do with ‘numbers’; it is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. Mathematical skills are essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. Mathematics is used all day, every day, in all that we do. A high-quality mathematics education enables children to have a foundation for understanding the world, supports the ability to reason, gives an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
In the Early Years children develop an understanding of Mathematics through a variety of planned group and individual activities. In Key Stages 1 and 2 we follow the National Curriculum, providing a structured daily Maths lesson for every class that caters for all abilities. In planning we make use of the Herts for Learning Essential Maths scheme. All areas of Maths are covered: Place value and numbers, fractions, measurement, shape, position, statistics. Children learn through practical activities working individually, in pairs or in groups as well as practising a variety of skills that gradually introduce them to the formal written methods. They learn number facts such as multiplication tables and extend their learning by carrying out Maths investigations.
A key aspect of learning mathematics at Yorke Mead is children being able to explain their methods of working in order to get the answer.
Knowing key facts is essential for the development of effective mathematical calculations and we encourage children to learn to instantly recall addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. Children initially focus on learning their number bonds moving onto times tables once they begin to develop the concerns of counting in groups and multiplication.
Children work through a system of timetables certificates as they gain confidence with the different timetables.