At Highfield Primary School, we have developed a Mathematics curriculum that not only deepens the pupils’ conceptual understanding of the subject but also cultivates and encourages a passion for it.

Our curriculum at Highfield is delivered through the Mathematics Mastery (Ark Curriculum Plus) programme. It provides pupils with a deeper understanding of the subject through a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach which ensures pupils are fully secure on what they are learning. The design of our curriculum is to place emphasis on the cumulative mastery of essential knowledge and skills through a whole school perspective.

Key Features:

• High expectations for every child
• Focus is on mathematical thinking and language
• Problem solving is central
• Explicitly taught links between mathematics and the wider world   

Our Mathematics curriculum is taught through daily hourly lessons and organised into units of work that are repeated throughout the whole programme. This design ensures that children gain mastery of the concepts cumulatively.

In addition to their mathematics lessons, children also participate in daily twenty minute ‘Maths Meetings’ that are delivered across the school. The purpose of these meetings is to reinforce mathematical concepts, foster critical thinking, revisit previous learning, practice times tables and build confidence.

Times tables are a key component of our curriculum, with children developing their fluency in rapid recall of tables up to 12 x 12 by the end of year 4. While the rapid recall of times tables is being developed, they also learn how to apply and manipulate their understanding of them to reason and solve problems.

In our Early Years Foundation Stage (E.Y.F.S.) setting, mathematics is introduced through play-based learning and practical activities. Our curriculum design is focused upon developing the children's early understanding of number, shape, space, and measures whilst also developing their problem solving and reasoning skills.

A key driver in our E.Y.F.S. Mathematics provision is to provide children with extensive opportunities to develop their communication skills through mathematical thinking and reasoning activities. By ensuring that children are taught these components, we prepare them for their future learning as they progress through the school.

The Mathematics curriculum is also embedded in the E.Y.F.S. through our environments. The children’s knowledge and understanding are supported and consolidated by vocabulary rich areas that encourage exploration, experimentation and discovery.

Ultimately, our Mathematics curriculum is designed to equip children with the skills, knowledge and attributes that they will need to survive in an ever-evolving world. It will support them in being successful, both personally and professionally, by empowering them to become confident problem solvers and critical thinkers.