Mathematics is an essential life skill that helps children understand the world around them. Through exploration, reasoning and problem-solving, children develop confidence, resilience and a belief that everyone can succeed in mathematics.

Our Vision for Mathematics

At Bathford Church School, our vision of Grow, Care, Serve, Share is at the heart of our Mathematics curriculum.

We want all children to see themselves as mathematicians. We encourage children to be curious, persevere when faced with challenges and develop confidence in their ability to solve problems and explain their thinking.

Through mathematics, children learn to make sense of the world around them and appreciate the beauty, power and usefulness of mathematics in everyday life. We want children to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to thrive in the next stage of their education and beyond.

What Do Children Learn?

The National Curriculum aims for all children to become:

• Fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics
• Able to reason mathematically
• Confident problem-solvers

Throughout their time at Bathford, children develop their understanding of:

• Number and place value
• Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Fractions, decimals and percentages
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Statistics
• Algebra (Key Stage 2)

As children move through the school, they build on prior learning and make connections between different areas of mathematics.

How Do Children Learn?

Early Mathematics

In Reception, mathematics is taught through a combination of direct teaching, practical activities, exploration and play. Children develop early mathematical understanding through meaningful experiences that build strong foundations in number and numerical patterns.

We use White Rose Maths to provide a carefully sequenced curriculum from Reception to Year 6.

In Reception and Key Stage 1, children also participate in the NCETM Mastering Number programme, which develops strong number sense, fluency and confidence with number facts. This helps children build secure foundations for future mathematical learning.

Teaching for Mastery

We follow a mastery approach to mathematics, where all children are supported and challenged to understand concepts deeply before moving on to new learning.

Learning is organised into small, manageable steps that allow children to develop a deep and secure understanding of mathematical concepts.

Children learn through:

• Practical resources and manipulatives
• Visual representations and diagrams
• Mathematical discussion and reasoning
• Problem-solving activities
• Fluency practice
• Opportunities to explain and justify their thinking

We use the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach to help children develop secure understanding by moving between practical, visual and abstract representations of mathematics.

Mathematical Talk

Children are encouraged to discuss, explain and justify their ideas using mathematical vocabulary.

Through discussion and reasoning, children learn to communicate their thinking clearly, develop confidence and deepen their mathematical understanding.

Supporting Every Learner

Teachers use ongoing assessment to identify next steps and address misconceptions quickly.

Support and challenge are carefully adapted to ensure all children make excellent progress and achieve their full potential.

What Will Children Take Away?

Through mathematics, children develop:

• Confidence and resilience
• Fluency in number and calculation
• Reasoning and problem-solving skills
• Mathematical vocabulary and communication skills
• Independence and perseverance
• An understanding of how mathematics applies to everyday life

We want our children to leave Bathford as confident mathematicians who are willing to take risks, embrace challenge and approach problems with a positive "have a go" attitude.

Children will be able to think critically, explain their reasoning, make connections across different areas of mathematics and apply their knowledge in a range of real-life situations.

Mathematics Curriculum

At Bathford Church School, we use White Rose Maths to deliver a carefully sequenced mathematics curriculum from Reception to Year 6. In Reception and Key Stage 1, children also participate in the NCETM Mastering Number programme to develop strong number sense and fluency.

The progression document below shows how mathematical knowledge and skills develop throughout primary school and how learning builds over time to create confident, fluent and resilient mathematicians.