Intent

At Larwood School, we view mathematics as an essential life skill and aim to deliver an accessible, engaging and purposeful curriculum that enables all pupils to succeed and develop confidence in their mathematical abilities.

We want pupils to enjoy maths, embrace challenge and build resilience so they are well prepared for the next steps in their education and everyday life.

Our curriculum focuses on fluency, reasoning and problem solving, enabling pupils to apply mathematical knowledge and concepts in a variety of contexts. Pupils are encouraged to explore mathematical ideas in depth, use precise mathematical vocabulary and explain their reasoning clearly.

Teaching follows a concrete–pictorial–abstract approach, allowing pupils to build secure understanding by first exploring concepts with practical resources before moving to visual representations and written methods. Mistakes are valued as part of the learning process and perseverance is actively encouraged.

Implementation

Mathematics is taught daily through a broad and balanced curriculum that includes number, calculation, geometry, measures and statistics.

We use White Rose Maths as the foundation for planning and sequencing lessons. This ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum and provides a clear progression of mathematical knowledge and skills across year groups.

In Key Stage 1, pupils also participate in the Mastering Number programme, which strengthens understanding of number relationships through short daily sessions. This helps pupils develop fluency with key number facts and builds confidence in early mathematics.

Across the school, we incorporate principles of Maths Mastery, focusing on small steps in learning, conceptual understanding and varied representations to deepen pupils’ understanding.

Teachers use a range of high-quality resources to support learning, including:

• Numicon
• Cuisenaire rods
• place value counters
• bar modelling

These resources help pupils develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts before moving to abstract methods.

Additional support is provided through pre-teaching and post-teaching during Essentials sessions, allowing teachers to reinforce key learning and address misconceptions quickly.

A whole-school calculation policy ensures consistent progression in both written and mental methods across the school. Staff receive ongoing professional development to strengthen teaching of reasoning and problem solving.

Impact

Through our mathematics curriculum, pupils develop secure mathematical understanding, increasing confidence and the ability to apply their skills in different contexts.

By the time pupils leave Larwood School they will:

• demonstrate increasing fluency in key mathematical skills
• apply their knowledge to solve problems and explain reasoning
• use mathematical vocabulary accurately
• approach challenges with confidence and resilience

Impact is measured through:

• ongoing teacher assessment and monitoring of pupil progress
• review of pupils’ work and mathematical reasoning
• discussions with pupils about their learning
• monitoring and support from the maths subject leader

Pupils leave Larwood well prepared for the next stage of their education and equipped with the mathematical knowledge and problem-solving skills needed for everyday life.