At Our Lady of Compassion, we strive for excellence in all that we do. Our goal is to cultivate an environment where children approach Mathematics with positivity and enthusiasm, embracing challenges as opportunities to grow. By developing strong mathematical skills and resilience in problem-solving, we believe our students will not only engage deeply with the subject but also thrive, reaching their full potential.

 

We aim to do this by:

 

• Fostering and nurturing a curiosity towards the subject that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

• Providing ‘real life’ opportunities so pupils make links and understand its purpose.

• Providing opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to other areas of the curriculum confidently.

 

We want children to develop fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills across the mathematical curriculum and therefore creating children who are confident and competent mathematicians. Thus, making their transition to high school seamless and also increasing their employability in the future.

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Early Maths in the Foundation Stage 

 

At Our Lady of Compassion, we aim to provide a rich and engaging mathematical foundation for our early learners, aligning with the school's broader maths curriculum. Our approach is inclusive and child-centred, enabling all children to engage in maths at their own pace while ensuring high expectations for all. We prioritise the development of mathematical language, encouraging children to articulate their thinking and explain their reasoning.

In Early Years, we follow the White Rose Maths scheme to ensure consistency across all year groups, supporting children’s understanding of key mathematical concepts through practical, hands-on experiences. White Rose Maths within Early Years promotes deep understanding of number, shape, space, and measures, using a mix of structured activities and continuous provision activities that encourage problem-solving, reasoning, and discussion. Lessons are designed to build fluency in early number skills, with a strong emphasis on understanding numbers to 10, patterns, counting, and basic addition and subtraction.

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To complement White Rose, we implement the NCETM Mastering Number programme. This initiative helps to embed strong number sense and fluency, ensuring children grasp essential mathematical concepts such as subitising, number bonds, and the relationship between numbers.

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White Rose Maths has recently been introduced to Nursery, through enhanced continuous provision activities and short inputs to our N2 children. The N1 children access number rhymes and stories, as well as the enhanced continuous provision available. 

 

Reception follows the White Rose Maths scheme of work, which is split into weekly and fortnightly topics. This scheme is predominantly used, whilst also using NCETM to support learning. 

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Assessment is ongoing, using observations and informal tasks to assess progress, ensuring that teaching is responsive to each child’s needs. Reception children have individual maths books to evidence their early maths skills. Our goal is to foster a positive attitude towards maths, laying a strong foundation for future learning.