Mathematics

Maths at Westwood

White Rose Maths

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning, we use White Rose Maths throughout our school at Westwood. Its structured, mastery-based approach focuses on deepening understanding. White Rose focuses on a Concrete-> Pictorial-> Abstract (CPA) approach which helps children build a solid foundation from Year 1 to Year 6.  

Mastering Number

In Early Years, we use Mastering Number from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) to form the basis of our maths teaching of number composition; this is supplemented with White Rose Maths planning and activities for shape, pattern and measure. Mastering Number continues into Year 1 and Year 2 to give children firm foundations for understanding number and calculating fluently. 

Teaching Approach 

Our lesson design for Maths at Westwood follows this lesson structure:

• Flashback 4 - five minutes is given at the start of the lesson for children to complete their Flashback 4. The Flashback links to previous learning (from yesterday, last week or previous units). This helps children retrieve prior learning ready to develop this in the lesson. 

• I do, We do, You do - teaching and learning is sequenced through these three strategies of explicit instruction, guided practice and independent application. 

• Independent Practice - children complete a tab in their Maths Journals, firstly beginning with fluency before moving onto reasoning and problem solving. Children have fluency, reasoning and problem solving questions and a challenge activity (our Wonder at Westwood task) available. 

• Apply - the lesson ends with an apply; a true or false based question based on the learning. 

Arithmetic

Key Stage 2 have timetabled Arithmetic sessions each week. This is taught in three 30 minute lessons. During these sessions, children have the opportunity to practise and apply the methods they have learnt in White Rose for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 

10 in 10

From Year 2, children complete 10 fluency questions daily to continually practise key number skills required for fluent calculating across the maths curriculum. 

Numbots and Times Tables Rockstars

At Westwood, we subscribe to Numbots and Times Tables Rockstars. These are both online platforms where children have their own unique log in to practise their number fluency skills. This is ideal for 5 minutes of homework a day to improve their speed and recall of subitising, addition and subtraction facts in EYFS and Key Stage 1 using Numbots, and multiplication and division facts in Key Stage 2. We use our Chromebooks in school to access these regularly and host inter-school competitions to encourage children to play and learn!