Welcome to the Mathematics section of our website!

Here you will find useful information about Maths at Boxmoor primary. As well as this, you will see pictures and records of some of the exciting teaching and learning taking place.

Below you will also find our calculation policy that details how children are taught to solve problems using written methodologies. You will also find information about the 'Mastery' curriculum that is being embedded throughout the school. 

Maths Information Evening

Thank you to everyone who attended our recent Maths evening. We always find it beneficial to talk to parents about how Maths is taught and resourced in school as well as discuss how children can be best supported at home. Feedback has been very positive and most parents were very well behaved when 'using' the concrete apparatus! We also endeavoured to provide some guidance and resources that you can utilise at home. 

If you have any queries then please do contact your child's class teacher - we're happy to help!

Maths Mastery at Boxmoor Primary School

We aim to ensure that all children develop a deep understanding of mathematics.

‘The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils…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’

At Boxmoor Primary School we understand the importance of children knowing more than isolated facts, methods and having procedural fluency. We ensure that children have a full understanding of mathematical concepts, methods and relationships between the different areas of maths. It is important that children can recall key facts in maths however learning rules and facts are only the tools in which children learn to do maths fluently. Therefore The learning you do with your children at home, supporting their learning of times tables and supporting with their homework has real value. In school, In order to develop children’s conceptual understanding in maths, we ensure that we plan for opportunities for children to: recognise, generate examples, use diagrams and manipulatives, interpret, compare and contrast ideas etc.

‘… reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language’

At Boxmoor Primary School we ensure that children can explain the ‘Hows’ and ‘Whys’ of maths. Through reasoning children are able to conjecture, generalise and justify.

Teachers promote reasoning during maths lesson through using carefully chosen questions eg:

_____thinks that, ______Do you agree? Explain your answer.

Is it always true, sometimes true or never true that________

Explain why _______ is wrong.

Children are provided with opportunities to express their mathematical reasoning throughout their lessons;  we understand that mathematical language is crucial to children’s mathematical thinking.

‘… can 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.’

At Boxmoor Primary School we believe that the whole point of maths is being able to solve problems. Therefore, problem solving is planned into maths learning. We plan for mathematical activities to have a problem solving element through the use of regular challenges. Each child regularly takes part in a problem solving investigation linked specifically to a problem solving skill or strategy or linked to the area of learning for that week.

The New Curriculum

September 2014 heralded the start of the new primary curriculum across all primary schools.

At Boxmoor, we are teaching from the new curriculum across all year groups.

Below is specific guidance - per year group - about what children are (or will be) covering over the course of the academic year in the new curriculum. Whilst there are many elements that are similar or even the same as the previous curriculum, there are elements and skills that children are expected to master at an earlier age than before.

If you have any queries then please contact your child's class teacher in the first instance.