Our Intent: This is what we want for our children.
At Barley Fields Primary, we recognise that mathematics is a universal language that helps us to understand and shape the world around us. It underpins fields such as science, technology, architecture, and business, and is vital for everyday problem-solving and financial literacy.
We aim for every child to enjoy mathematics, experience success, and develop resilience and confidence in their learning. Through a high-quality, well-sequenced curriculum, children will:
- Build strong mathematical fluency and automatic recall of key facts.
- Apply their skills creatively through reasoning and problem solving.
- Develop independence, perseverance, and curiosity as young mathematicians.
Ultimately, we are committed to creating the problem solvers of the future — confident learners who understand the power and relevance of mathematics in the real world.
Our Implementation: How we teach Mathematics
Our mathematics curriculum is carefully structured to ensure children know more, remember more and can do more as they move through school.
We use a small-step, sequential approach based largely on the White Rose Maths scheme and I See Maths pedagogy, with regular adaptation to meet the needs of our learners. We use two learning platforms Maths Shed and My Maths to consolidate skills.
Our teaching emphasises:
- Breaking learning into manageable steps to avoid overload.
- Frequent practice and retrieval to embed knowledge.
- Formative assessment that shapes daily teaching.
- A consistent focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving.
Through the CPA approach (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract), children develop secure understanding before moving to abstract concepts. Manipulatives and visual models are used as scaffolds to support learning and independence.
Problem solving and reasoning are woven throughout all learning. Children are encouraged to think logically, explain their ideas, make connections, and choose efficient strategies. Tasks are designed to be rich and open-ended, allowing for multiple methods and solutions.
Our curriculum character, Molly the Mathematician, helps children to reflect on key skills and mathematical behaviours as they progress through school.
We regularly review and adapt our curriculum to remain research-informed, working with the EEF and the National College to embed adaptive teaching practices across all classrooms.
Our Impact: the difference it makes
The impact of our mathematics curriculum is that children:
- Develop fluency, accuracy and flexibility in their mathematical thinking.
- Approach challenges with resilience and confidence.
- Apply their learning to a range of real-life situations and subjects.
- Understand that mathematics is a vital life skill that opens doors for the future.
- Achieve very well across all key stages.
- at end of each key stage know, apply and understand the skills and techniques specified in the curriculum plans.
Children at Barley Fields become confident, curious and capable mathematicians who can explain their thinking, solve problems creatively, and see mathematics as both enjoyable and meaningful.