Maths
Intent
At Edmondsley Primary and Nursery School, our aim is for all children to become fluent, confident and enthusiastic mathematicians. We want our pupils to be able to think mathematically, explain their reasoning clearly and apply their knowledge in real-life contexts.
Our maths curriculum is designed so that every child:
- Develops quick and accurate recall of key facts, including times tables to 12 × 12
- Understands concepts deeply through our developing mastery approach, which focuses on small steps, representation and reasoning
- Can confidently use mathematical language to explain, justify and explore ideas
- Experiences maths in concrete, pictorial and abstract (CPA) forms so that they gain a secure and flexible understanding
- Can apply their knowledge to increasingly complex problems with resilience
How We Teach Maths
We are developing a mastery approach that works for the children at Edmondsley, ensuring every pupil has the opportunity to achieve success in mathematics.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced using high-quality teaching materials, including Oak Academy, which supports consistency, progression and coherence across the school.
Every maths unit incorporates:
- Fluency – speed and accuracy with number facts
- Varied fluency – applying skills in different ways
- Reasoning – explaining, justifying and making connections
- Problem solving – applying understanding to deeper challenges
Retrieval practice is woven throughout teaching to ensure children “know more and remember more.”
Maths in EYFS
In Early Years, mathematics is taught through play, exploration and direct teaching sessions. Children learn to:
- Recognise, represent and compare numbers
- Understand shape, space and measure
- Develop early pattern awareness
- Subitise small quantities
- Use mathematical vocabulary naturally in their play
Children experience maths in meaningful contexts, both indoors and outdoors, and begin using concrete resources to build early number sense that prepares them for KS1.
Maths in Key Stage 1
In KS1, children build strong foundations in:
- Number and place value
- Addition and subtraction
- Early multiplication and division
- Fractions
- Measurement
- Geometry
Children continue to use the CPA approach and are supported to solve simple problems and explain their thinking aloud. Times-table knowledge begins to grow through daily retrieval, games and chant-based practice.
Maths units are taught in carefully sequenced blocks, ensuring deep understanding before new content is introduced.
Maths in Key Stage 2
In KS2, pupils extend their mastery of mathematical concepts and learn to apply them with increasing independence. Learning includes:
- Formal written methods
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- More complex geometry and measurement
- Statistics
- Ratio and proportion
- Algebra (UKS2)
Children deepen reasoning skills, undertake more sophisticated problem solving and build fluency in all arithmetic operations.
Times-table fluency remains a priority, with pupils expected to confidently recall multiplication facts up to 12 × 12.
Oak Academy materials support progression, mixed-age teaching and consistency across classes.
Our Mastery Approach
At Edmondsley, we are developing a bespoke mastery approach that reflects our children’s needs and our mixed-age structure. This approach ensures:
- All children move through content in small, logical steps
- Concepts are taught in depth
- Representations (concrete, pictorial and abstract) make learning accessible
- Challenge comes from thinking, not from rushing ahead
- Prior learning is continually revisited and strengthened
Mastery means children gain a secure, flexible, long-lasting understanding of mathematics.
Real-Life Maths
We want all children to understand that maths has power and purpose.
Teachers regularly provide opportunities to apply maths to:
- real-life contexts
- science, geography and computing
- money, time and real data
- practical problem solving
This helps children recognise the relevance of mathematics beyond school.
Impact
By the time children leave Edmondsley, our aim is that, they will:
- Make good progress from their starting points
- Be fluent in number facts, including times tables to 12 × 12
- Use mathematical vocabulary confidently and accurately
- Be able to tackle complex problems with resilience
- Explain their thinking clearly and logically
- Be well-prepared for the mathematical demands of secondary school
Ongoing assessment, pupil voice, work scrutiny and teacher observations ensure that teaching is responsive and that children receive a consistently high-quality maths education.
