Maths

Maths Intent Statement
At Braeburn Primary and Nursery Academy, our mathematics curriculum is designed to nurture a love of learning and empower every child with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in mathematics. Our vision is that children will be fluent in the basic skills of mathematics including additive facts and multiplication facts. Grounded in the principles of the National Curriculum for England and aligned with the NCETM programme, we ensure a high-quality maths education that equips pupils with the tools to reason, problem-solve, and think mathematically.

In EYFS, we use a mastery approach to build strong foundations in number. Our focus is on developing secure knowledge of numbers to 10, exploring their composition, relationships, and patterns. Using practical resources such as ten frames, counters, and cubes, children gain a deep, hands-on understanding of maths. Maths is embedded across all areas of provision, both indoors and outdoors, enabling children to explore and apply mathematical concepts in meaningful, playful contexts. By the time our children leave us in Year 6, they will have covered the topics of number, place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals and percentages, measurement, geometry, statistics.

What does maths at Braeburn look like?
At Braeburn we use a mastery approach (we develop fluency without resorting to rote learning and enabling children to solve non-routine maths problems without having to memorise procedures) and the CPA (concrete, pictorial and abstract) approach. Children are introduced to a new topic with concrete apparatus, they are then shown the new concept through visual representations and finally they move into the abstract.

Each lesson is delivered using a six part structure:

Fluency – children familiarise themselves with the basic skills and become confident at recalling known facts                                                                        Let’s Investigate – the focus of the lesson is explored through a real and relevant context.
Teach and model – children are introduced to the relevant learning for the lesson [using NCETM structure]
Guided Practice – this breaks the learning into small steps and enables the children to rehearse – encourage use of whiteboards, paired working ensuring good pace and addressing misconceptions
Apply – children to begin independent tasks at appropriate starting points. A variation of questions, including fluency, reasoning, problem solving opportunities, ensure that children are suitable challenged
Review – Children reflect on the ‘Let’s Investigate’ and adapt if needed using a blue pen

Multiplication Check

By the end of year 4, children should know all of their multiplication facts up to 12 x 12. All year four children have their multiplication skills formally tested in the Summer Term of Year 4.

How will the children be tested?

• Children will be tested using an on-screen check (on a chrome book), where they will have to answer multiplication questions against the clock.
• The test will last no longer than 5 minutes and is similar to other tests already used by primary schools. Their answers will be marked instantly.
• Children will have 6 seconds to answer each question in a series of 25.
• Questions will be selected from the 121 number facts that make up the multiplication tables from 2 to 12, with a particular focus on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 times tables as they are considered to be the most challenging. Each question will only appear once in any 25-question series, and children won’t be asked to answer reversals of a question as part of the check (so if they’ve already answered 3 x 4 they won’t be asked about 4 x 3).
• Once the child has inputted their answer on the computer / device they are using, there will be a three-second pause before the next question appears.

NCETM Maths Long Term Plan

Calculation Policies

Addition and subtraction

Multiplication and division