Purpose of Study:

Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected subject that has been developed over centuries, providing solutions to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential for everyday life and is fundamental to science, technology and engineering. Mathematics equips children with the knowledge and confidence needed to understand finances, interpret the world around them and succeed in future employment.

At Grange Junior School, we provide a high-quality mathematics education that develops fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. Through carefully structured learning opportunities, children are encouraged to show resilience when faced with challenge, to respect the ideas and strategies of others and to feel safe and nurtured when taking risks in their learning. We aim to develop confident mathematicians who enjoy mathematics, appreciate its power and beauty and are prepared for the next stage of their education and beyond.

Aims:

The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately;
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language;
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are organised into domains; however, pupils are encouraged to make rich connections across mathematical concepts to deepen understanding and improve fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills. Mathematical skills can then be applied to other areas of the curriculum, such as science.

At Grange Junior School, we believe all children can achieve success in mathematics. Lessons are designed to provide appropriate challenge and support so that pupils feel safe to contribute ideas, explain misconceptions and learn from mistakes. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through rich problems which deepen understanding, while those who need further support are nurtured through scaffolds,

Intent:

Rooted in the National Curriculum and shaped by our school values of Respect, Nurture, Resilience, Challenge and Safety, we strive to foster a lifelong love of mathematics and numeracy.

At Grange Junior School, mathematics is taught through a clear progression across the key stage, following the National Curriculum and Hampshire Planning Model. Links are made to other curriculum areas wherever possible so that children recognise mathematics as an integral part of everyday life and the wider world.

We are committed to ensuring that all pupils — especially disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, those known (or previously known) to children’s social care and those facing other barriers to learning — can access and succeed in mathematics through carefully planned scaffolding, adaptive teaching and high-quality support.

Our curriculum aims to:

• develop fluency, confidence and automaticity in key mathematical facts and procedures;
• build deep conceptual understanding through concrete, pictorial and abstract representations;
• encourage children to reason mathematically using precise mathematical vocabulary;
• develop resilient learners who persevere when solving challenging problems;
• create a safe and nurturing environment where mistakes are valued as part of learning;
• provide opportunities for challenge through rich reasoning and mastery tasks;
• support respectful mathematical discussion and collaborative learning.

Problem-solving is central to our curriculum and is used to deepen understanding, improve fluency and develop reasoning and reading skills through coherent learning journeys. There is a strong emphasis on the use of visual representations and mathematical talk to support children in expressing and explaining their thinking.

Our curriculum is designed to revisit key domains regularly, strengthening long-term memory and fluency. Through repeated exposure to concepts in varied contexts, children develop flexible mathematical understanding and confidence.

Implementation:

Long- and medium-term planning is taken from the National Curriculum and supported by the Hampshire Planning Model, which is designed to revisit mathematical domains throughout the year to strengthen fluency and support long-term retention.

At Grange Junior School, each learning journey includes:
• a clear learning journey shared with children;
• entry and exit tickets to assess understanding;
• opportunities to revisit prior learning and foundational knowledge;
• key vocabulary and mathematical language;
• targeted interventions linked to individual pupil needs and IEPs where appropriate.

Teachers adapt lessons to meet the needs of all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, those known (or previously known) to children’s social care and those facing barriers to learning and wellbeing. Adaptive teaching, carefully planned scaffolds and fluid groupings ensure that all children can access learning successfully whilst still being appropriately challenged.

A maths lesson at Grange typically includes:
• fluency and retrieval practice;
• explicit modelling;
• clear success criteria;
• “I do, We do, You do” teaching sequences;
• opportunities for support and deepen tasks;
• practical resources and representations;
• a focus on mathematical vocabulary;
• purposeful feedback and responsive teaching.

The curriculum is supplemented through resources such as White Rose Mathematics, NCETM mastery materials, I See Maths, Times Tables Rockstars and Mathletics.

Pupils use concrete, pictorial and abstract approaches to develop understanding and reasoning skills, supported by a coherent calculation policy. Key mathematical facts, including times tables, number bonds and measure relationships, are explicitly taught and regularly revisited to build fluency and confidence.

Reasoning and problem-solving are central to teaching and learning. Children are encouraged to explain, justify and prove their thinking using mathematical vocabulary and visual representations such as bar models. Varied fluency and non-routine mastery problems provide appropriate challenge and deepen understanding.

Children are encouraged to demonstrate resilience when tackling difficult concepts and are supported within a nurturing and safe learning environment where mistakes are viewed positively as part of the learning process. Respectful partner talk and collaborative discussion support pupils in refining their mathematical understanding and communicating ideas effectively.

In addition to daily mathematics lessons, Quick Maths and Number Sense sessions provide opportunities to further develop fluency in key number facts for each year group. These sessions strengthen automatic recall and reduce cognitive load, enabling pupils to approach increasingly sophisticated mathematical tasks with confidence.

Impact:

Through carefully structured CPD and a consistent whole-school approach, staff are confident in delivering a mathematics curriculum that enables all pupils to achieve well and develop positive attitudes towards mathematics.

We are committed to ensuring that all pupils — especially disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, those known (or previously known) to children’s social care and those facing other barriers to learning — can access and succeed in mathematics through carefully planned scaffolding, adaptive teaching and high-quality support.

As a result of our curriculum:
• pupils develop secure fluency in key mathematical concepts and procedures;
• children reason confidently and articulate mathematical thinking using precise vocabulary;
• pupils demonstrate resilience and perseverance when faced with challenge;
• children feel safe to take risks, make mistakes and learn collaboratively;
• mathematical discussion is respectful, purposeful and reflective;
• pupils are increasingly independent and confident mathematicians.

The structured approach, underpinned by the Hampshire Planning Model and National Curriculum, ensures that mathematical domains are revisited regularly to strengthen working memory and develop flexible understanding across concepts.

Teachers use assessment for learning effectively to identify misconceptions and gaps in understanding for all , which are addressed through responsive teaching, targeted support and scaffolded tasks. SEND pupils and those requiring additional support are carefully nurtured through adaptive teaching and appropriately pitched learning which enables them to make strong progress from their starting points.

The consistent use of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations, alongside reasoning and mastery approaches, enables pupils to develop deep conceptual understanding and confidence in applying mathematics across a range of contexts.

Regular Quick Maths and Number Sense sessions further enhance fluency and automaticity in arithmetic and key facts, freeing cognitive capacity for higher-order thinking and problem-solving.

By the end of each year group, pupils leave with a secure mathematical foundation, confidence in their abilities and the resilience to approach future mathematical learning with curiosity and determination.