Maths
In mathematics, pupils learn well and build their knowledge and understanding securely.
Why Maths is important
Maths is an essential skill that enables us to live an independent life. It teaches us how to make sense of the world around us, from calculating the total amount of money we need to purchase items, knowing what time to meet a connecting train to weighing precise amounts of ingredients when following a recipe. Maths helps us to develop problem-solving and reasoning skills that are applicable to all aspects of our lives.
Purpose of study
Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Our Mastery Approach
Our curriculum is built on the White Rose Maths framework and enriched by our partnership with the BBO Maths Hub. We follow a "Mastery" approach, ensuring children gain a deep, long-term understanding of concepts before moving on.
Find out more below.
What Maths looks like at King’s Wood School
The White Rose Maths scheme is used throughout the school as a basis for our maths learning. Click here to see what your child is currently learning in their maths lessons. Our approach to maths has drawn inspiration from a number of places – Mathematics Mastery, NCETM and the White Rose Maths hub and teachers use a range of strategies from the maths mastery approach. The units of work build on previous learning, so the children have the opportunity to embed concepts and make connections as they progress through the year.
While learning new concepts and consolidating learning, children have the opportunity to use a wide range of concrete resources to support them and to enable them to show and prove mathematical ideas and experience success. Developing problem-solving and reasoning skills is a thread that runs through our maths units – fluency in their calculations leads our children to tackling problems with greater confidence and resilience. It also shows our children that there are different approaches to solving problems with tasks gradually increasing in complexity and depth.
Children have a chance to develop and apply their maths learning across the curriculum in subjects such as Science, Design and Technology and humanities.
The "Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract" (CPA) Journey
We use a three-step journey for new concepts:
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Concrete: Using physical resources (Numicon, Base 10, Place Value Counters) to "feel" the maths.
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Pictorial: Using drawings, bar models, and part-whole diagrams to visualise the problem.
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Abstract: Moving to formal written methods and symbols once the concept is fully embedded.
The BBO Maths Hub Partnership
We are proud to be an active partner of the Bucks, Berks and Oxon (BBO) Maths Hub. This collaboration keeps King’s Wood at the forefront of national mathematical research and pedagogy.
Our teachers engage in professional development to refine their teaching strategies, ensuring we deliver "Teaching for Mastery" that focusses on mathematical thinking, representation, and variation. Our Maths Lead, Mrs Reid, is a trained Primary Mastery Specialist with NCETM.
The Impact
Our curriculum is designed so that by the time children leave King's Wood, they demonstrate:
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Fluency: Rapid recall of facts and the ability to choose the most efficient calculation method.
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Reasoning: The ability to explain why an answer is correct using mathematical proof.
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Problem-Solving: The resilience to apply their skills to unfamiliar, "non-routine" problems.
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Independence: The flexibility to move between different representations of the same concept.
For information relating to policies, please visit our Policies page.
If you have questions, please speak to their class teacher or contact our Maths Lead, Mrs Reid, via the school office.