Maths
Mathematics plays a crucial role in the educational curriculum at North Star 180, equipping students with vital problem-solving abilities and logical reasoning skills. Daily exposure to mathematics, wether through formal lessons or real world applications, is essential for fostering numeracy skills.
At North Star 180°, we follow the Mathematics Mastery curriculum.
Mathematics Mastery has three key ideas: deep understanding, mathematical thinking and mathematical language. Problem solving is at the heart of the curriculum. The ‘mastery approach’ means we want pupils to have a full understanding of mathematical ideas so they are ready for the next step of learning.
Each school year begins teaching number sense and skills. Pupils use this learning through the rest of the year and will be confident in lessons. They learn to use their knowledge in more complex problems and activities.
Pupils are given opportunity to explore, recognise patterns, question and be able to work on problems that take longer to solve. We teach them to investigate, look for all possible answers and explain their work.
When pupils learn something new they will use objects to help them understand it (concrete). They will then move to using pictures or drawings to help with the mathematical ideas (pictorial). When they are ready, pupils will start working just with numbers and maths symbols (abstract).
Throughout each lesson and unit, Mathematics Mastery uses the CPA approach.
Cold Task
At the start of a new unit, children will complete a ‘cold’ task so the teacher can check what they already know and if they are ready for the new learning.
Teacher and pupils then talk about what they know about a topic while the teacher makes notes. Teachers will then teach the mathematical language needed for the unit.
Arithmetic
This involves the key skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Spend 10 minutes practising arithmetic every day. This is also the focus of our homework each week.
For children learning at EYFS curriculum, students will learn about number formation and the number of quantities. By the end of school, they should be ready to move onto addition within 10 and number bonds.
Times Tables
We learn our times tables in this order:
2 x tables, 5 x tables, 10 x tables, 3 x tables, 4 x tables, 8 x tables, 6 x tables, 9 x tables, 11 x tables, 7 x tables, 12 x tables
The children are tested on their times tables each week in school. When children complete a x table, they are welcomed to the next challenge in our weekly whole school Celebration Assembly.
Assessment
Children will sit a test at the end of each half term (6 across the year) to find out if children have fully learned what was taught that term. In term 6, children will sit the end of year test which covers everything they have learned that year.
