Primary Maths
“The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.”
Stan Gudder (Mathematician)
At Hollinwood Academy, we teach maths creatively, incorporating the use of concrete manipulatives to help children understand abstract concepts and apply them to their learning.
It is our aim across the Primary phase to expertly match the National Curriculum with individual need, rather than teaching from a specific year group.
Through a combination of teaching tools such as Sensory Play and the use of Every Day examples, we aim for our children to achieve the highest level of functional maths that matches their ability.
At every stage, we want to raise the confidence of our learners.
Sensory Play – We use sensory play as an effective tool in teaching mathematics, both at introductory level and for the consolidation of skills and learning.
Every Day Examples – We aim to give our children mathematics skills for life, and regularly help them apply their newly learned skills in ‘real world’ scenarios.
Confidence – We work with our children every day to build their confidence in maths, encouraging an atmosphere where we learn from our mistakes.
Maths Lessons at Hollinwood Academy
Our Maths lessons are delivered daily, tailored to the needs of our learners.
Teaching is delivered by our highly skilled staff, using a blend of experience and knowledge, supported by the purposeful use of technology.
Our use of technology, right across the Primary stage in Maths, makes learning accessible for all, as iPads and other technology mean that all children can engage with their learning.
At Hollinwood Academy, we believe in the use of technology to remove barriers to learning.
Schemes of Work
Teachers follow the White Rose Schemes of work, with each class following blocks and topics of learning, differentiated accordingly.
You can learn more about the White Rose Scheme of work here:
Communication Group
In our Communication groups, basic maths skills are taught through Attention Autism sessions.
Medium Term/ Long Term Plans
The lessons are structured and repetitive, building on their basic skills, application and understanding, as well as any personal targets.
We follow Medium Term plans, which can be viewed in detail here:
Assessment
Throughout primary we use end of block assessments to measure progress from the White Rose schemes of work.
These are formulated from the national curriculum.
Children who are working below National Curriculum are assessed using pre-key stage standards and children who are working below Pre-key stage are assessed using the Engagement model of learning.
Technology
To support our learners, we use a range of apps, such as:
TT Rock Stars
TopMarks
BBC Bitesize
DragonBox
Purple Mash