Charnwood Primary Academy, our aim in mathematics is to ensure that all pupils meet the requirements of the National Curriculum by developing a deep, secure and adaptable understanding of mathematical concepts. We believe that every child is capable of achieving success in mathematics when provided with high-quality teaching, meaningful practice and opportunities to reason and problem-solve within a supportive learning environment.
We place great emphasis on developing mathematical fluency, ensuring that children build confidence and efficiency in key number skills. To support this, pupils take part in a daily 15-minute arithmetic session focusing on three core elements of fluency: counting, place value and the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). These short, focused sessions allow children to encounter new learning, revisit and reinforce prior learning, commit key number facts to long-term memory and make connections between different mathematical ideas. Alongside this, Times Tables Rock Stars is used to develop children’s confidence and fluency in multiplication, helping them to develop rapid recall of multiplication facts.
Children also take part in daily one-hour mathematics lessons that further develop their fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills. At Charnwood Primary Academy, we follow the White Rose Maths scheme, which is underpinned by a mastery approach. This provides a coherent progression of knowledge and skills from Reception through to Year 6, enabling pupils to build firm foundations and develop their understanding at a pace that supports both confidence and success. Learning is broken down into small steps to support children’s cognitive load and master learning.
At the beginning of each mathematics lesson, children engage in a ‘Convince Me’ activity, providing an opportunity to review and retrieve previous learning. This regular retrieval helps children to strengthen their understanding, make connections between mathematical ideas and secure knowledge in their long-term memory.
Lessons incorporate concrete, pictorial and abstract representations to help pupils develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts before moving towards greater abstraction. Our calculation policy supports consistency across the school, ensuring that children are taught using agreed representations and methods. Through repeated exposure and practice, children become increasingly familiar and confident with these approaches, enabling them to apply their mathematical understanding as they progress through the school.
Charnwood Primary Academy Maths Long Term Overviews
White Rose – Vocabulary progression
Example of small steps in learning Y3 Autumn
Additional ways to support at home:
SUAT supports and leads in the set-up of new academies joining the partnership. The services provided by the central support function cover both educational and non-educational support. In terms of educational support, SUAT is linked to the School of Education of Staffordshire University, which is an outstanding ITT provider.