Maths

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Mathematics Intent

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, our intent is to deliver a mathematics curriculum that is ambitious, inclusive, and rooted in our Catholic values. We aim to nurture confident, resilient, and curious mathematicians who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to thrive in an ever-changing world.

We believe that every child can achieve excellence in mathematics. Our curriculum is designed to:

• Foster a deep understanding of mathematical concepts through a mastery approach, enabling children to make connections across topics and apply their learning in real-life contexts.
• Develop fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving skills, ensuring pupils can articulate their thinking and approach challenges with perseverance and confidence.
• Promote mathematical thinking and independence, encouraging children to explore, question, and reflect on their learning.
• Celebrate diversity and individuality, ensuring all learners are supported and challenged appropriately, regardless of their starting point.
• Build strong foundations for future learning by ensuring progression and coherence from Early Years through to Year 6.

Our curriculum is enriched with opportunities to explore mathematics through engaging tasks, cross-curricular links, and real-world applications. We use concrete, pictorial, and abstract representations to support conceptual understanding and ensure accessibility for all learners.

In line with our whole-school ethos, we aim to develop children who are not only skilled in mathematics but also aspirational, reflective, and globally aware. Through high-quality teaching and a carefully sequenced curriculum, our pupils will leave Sacred Heart with the confidence to use mathematics in their everyday lives and the wider world.

 

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Mathematics Curriculum Implementation

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, our mathematics curriculum is implemented through a structured, mastery-based approach that ensures all pupils develop a deep, secure, and transferable understanding of mathematical concepts. We follow the National Curriculum for Mathematics and use the White Rose Maths scheme as our core planning tool to ensure consistency, progression, and high-quality teaching across all year groups.

Curriculum Design and Sequencing

• The White Rose Maths scheme provides a coherent and carefully sequenced curriculum, ensuring that learning builds progressively from Early Years to Year 6.
• Each unit is designed to revisit and deepen prior learning, supporting long-term retention and mastery.
• Planning is adapted to meet the needs of our pupils, with opportunities for enrichment, consolidation, and challenge.

Teaching and Learning Approaches

• We use the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach to support conceptual understanding and cater to different learning styles.
• Lessons are structured to include fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving activities, with a strong emphasis on mathematical language and communication, using the I do, We do, You do approach to support all learners.
• Teachers adapt high-quality resources from White Rose Maths, supplemented with additional resources, manipulatives, visual aids, and digital tools.

Mastery and Depth

• Our mastery approach ensures that all pupils are given time and support to develop a deep understanding before moving on.
• Challenge is achieved through depth of understanding, with rich tasks and open-ended challenges that encourage exploration and reasoning.
• Pupils are encouraged to explain their thinking, justify their methods, and reflect on their learning.

Assessment and Feedback

• Ongoing formative assessment is embedded in every lesson, allowing teachers to respond to misconceptions and adapt teaching in real time.
• White Rose Maths assessments are used termly to monitor progress and inform planning.
• Feedback is focused, timely, and supports pupils in identifying next steps in their learning.

Support and Inclusion

• Targeted interventions, including pre-teaching and small group support, are used to close gaps and ensure all pupils can access the curriculum.
• Lessons are adapted to meet the needs of all learners, including those with SEND, ensuring equity and inclusion.
• Teachers use scaffolding and questioning strategies to support and challenge pupils appropriately.

Enrichment and Cross-Curricular Links

• Mathematics is enriched through real-life applications, investigations, and cross-curricular opportunities, including STEM projects and enterprise activities.
• Pupils participate in maths challenges, themed days, and competitions to foster enthusiasm and enjoyment.

Professional Development

• Staff receive regular CPD focused on effective mathematics teaching, mastery approaches, and use of White Rose Maths resources.
• Collaborative planning and moderation ensure consistency and high standards across the school.

Curriculum overview

Early Years Foundation Stage

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, mathematics within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is delivered through a balanced approach that combines structured teaching with child-led exploration through play. Formal sessions introduce key mathematical concepts such as number recognition, shape, pattern, and spatial awareness, while continuous provision allows children to deepen their understanding in a natural, engaging environment. Opportunities to explore maths are embedded throughout the day, encouraging curiosity and independent learning.

The accompanying overview table outlines the range of mathematical topics covered in nursery, including areas like “more than, fewer than, same,” “exploring shapes and objects,” and “hearing and saying number names.” These topics are not assigned to specific weeks; instead, they are revisited flexibly and responsively, based on the needs and interests of the children. This approach ensures that mathematical learning is meaningful, developmentally appropriate, and fully integrated into the EYFS curriculum.

 

The mathematics overviews for each year group outline the key teaching units, suggested sequence, and indicative timeframes for each area of learning. While all statutory curriculum content is covered for every year group, teachers retain the flexibility to adapt the order and duration of units to best suit the needs of their specific cohort. This responsive approach ensures that learning is both meaningful and appropriately paced. The use of the White Rose Maths scheme supports this process, with its carefully structured small steps mapped to the National Curriculum.

Mixed year group classes

In our mixed year group classes, such as Year 3/4, we provide a bespoke and carefully tailored mathematics curriculum that ensures all pupils receive high-quality teaching aligned with their developmental stage and the National Curriculum. Using the White Rose Maths scheme as our core planning tool, teachers map out the small steps in learning with precision, ensuring full coverage of curriculum objectives across both year groups. This approach allows for flexibility in delivery. While the sequence may differ slightly from that of a single-year class (e.g., a pure Year 4 cohort), the integrity and depth of learning remain consistent. Pupils are grouped and supported according to their individual needs, with challenge and scaffolding embedded throughout to ensure that every child is challenged and supported appropriately. This structure promotes inclusive learning, enabling all children to progress confidently and securely, regardless of their year group.

As outlined in our intent statement, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School adopts the White Rose Mathematics schemes of learning as a core planning tool to ensure consistency, progression, and full coverage of the National Curriculum. However, we recognise that effective teaching must be responsive to the needs of our pupils. Therefore, teachers adapt the planning sequence and content delivery based on a range of evidence, including summative assessment data, ongoing formative judgements, and pupil feedback. This flexible approach allows us to address gaps in understanding, revisit key concepts, and provide targeted support or challenge where needed. Adaptations are made thoughtfully to ensure that all pupils continue to access a broad and balanced mathematics curriculum.

Maths Progression Documents

Knowledge retention

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, we embed the Mastering Number programme across EYFS and Key Stage 1 to strengthen pupils’ understanding and retention of basic number facts. This initiative, developed by the NCETM, provides a consistent and structured approach to developing number sense, with a particular focus on subitising, number bonds, and additive reasoning. Through short, focused sessions delivered alongside the main maths curriculum, children build fluency and confidence in manipulating numbers mentally. The programme supports all learners, including those who may find number concepts challenging, by using engaging resources and visual representations. By revisiting key concepts regularly and embedding them in daily practice, Mastering Number ensures that pupils develop secure foundations that support their progression into more complex mathematical ideas in later years.

To support the development of arithmetic fluency across the school, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School implements daily ‘Remember More Maths’ sessions. These short, focused activities are designed to reinforce key number facts and calculation strategies, helping pupils to retain and recall essential mathematical knowledge with confidence. Built upon progressively from Year 2 to Year 6, these sessions are underpinned by a set of year-group-specific non-negotiables that outline the core arithmetic skills every child is expected to master. This ensures consistency and clarity in expectations and prepares pupils to access increasingly complex mathematical concepts as they move through the school. The methods taught during these sessions are aligned with the school’s calculation policy, which provides a clear progression of strategies for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. By revisiting and embedding these skills daily, pupils develop fluency, accuracy, and resilience in arithmetic, forming a strong foundation for success in all areas of mathematics.

Multiplication Tables

At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, we recognise the vital role that times tables play in underpinning mathematical understanding and success across the curriculum. To support this, the school subscribes to Times Table Rockstars, an engaging and interactive platform that helps pupils develop rapid recall of multiplication and division facts. Regular use of the programme, both in school and at home, encourages fluency, accuracy, and confidence, which are essential for tackling more complex mathematical concepts. Times tables knowledge is systematically built upon throughout the school, with clear expectations for each year group. This structured approach ensures that pupils are well-prepared to access formal written methods, as outlined in our calculation policy, and can apply their arithmetic skills effectively in problem-solving and reasoning tasks.

Times Table Rock Stars
Post code TS26 8NL