Teach Primary Issue 18.7

www.teachwire.net | 47 T EACH PR I MARY MATHS SPEC I A L I N AS SOC I A T I ON W I TH Seamus Gibbons and Emma Lennard take a look at what we should be striving for in our maths teaching A s primary teachers, it is our job to ensure all our pupils master the primary curriculum before they enter Key Stage 3. The basics As children work through the curriculum, they will become more confident in mastering its three aims as laid out by the DfE: • Fluency – Children should 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. • Reasoning –Pupils must learn to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof, using mathematical language. • Problem-solving – Children should be able to 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. In order to deliver these curriculum such that our pupils develop and consolidate their understanding of these three curriculum aims, we need to think carefully about our use of resources and lesson design. The research Ofsted’s 2021 review into maths teaching ( tinyurl.com/ tp-OfstedMaths ) includes a number of suggestions that are useful to bear in mind when planning and delivering the maths curriculum at each primary stage: • Teachers must close the entry gap in knowledge relating to facts, vocabulary, symbols and concepts. • The teaching of facts should be sequenced so it helps pupils to learn methods. • Teaching should be clear and systematic. • We should aim for pupils to become proficient as this develops motivation and confidence. • Pupils need regular opportunities to rehearse what they have learnt. • Assessment should focus on component knowledge (assessing what has been taught) as this is more useful for gap analysis. • Written work should be systematic and orderly as this supports pupils in avoiding errors and seeing connections. Recent research from the Educational Endowment (EEF) also provides primary teachers with useful recommendations for improving mathematics. The organisation’s EYFS and KS1 research ( tinyurl.com/ tp-EarlyMaths ) suggests five key recommendations: 1. Ensure teachers have a secure understanding of how children learn maths. 2. Provide wider opportunities for pupils to apply maths throughout the day. 3. Make use of manipulatives and images to support understanding. 4. Ensure new learning builds on existing knowledge. 5. Ensure additional support is of a high quality. For KS2, the EEF puts forward eight key recommendations for teachers to consider: 1. Make effective use of assessment. 2. As above, use manipulatives and images to support teaching. 3. Specifically teach children how to problem-solve. 4. Support pupils to make connections in their mathematical knowledge. 5. Support pupils to be motivated and independent in maths. 6. Ensure the resources used and tasks set support learning meaningfully. 7. Ensure that additional support/interventions are of a high quality. 8. Ensure procedures for pupils transitioning from Year 6 to 7 are meaningful. You’ll notice that some of the findings from Ofsted and the EEF align, which can help us be strategic in selecting appropriate, research-informed strategies to support our teaching of maths. TP The big PICTURE Seamus Gibbons is the executive principal of several London primary schools and leads the primary teacher training programme of the country's largest multi- academy trust. Emma Lennard is an independent primary curriculum advisor, working with schools across the country.