Mathematics at Ordsall Primary School

Our mathematics curriculum is aligned with the National Curriculum and is built around three key areas of mathematical proficiency:

• Fluency – developing secure recall of number facts and efficient methods

• Reasoning – explaining thinking using accurate mathematical language

• Problem solving – applying knowledge to unfamiliar and real-life situations

These elements are carefully woven through daily mathematics teaching so that pupils build deep, connected and long-lasting understanding over time.

Clear progression maps set out what pupils should know, do and understand from Nursery through to Year 6, ensuring learning is sequenced, cumulative and ambitious.

How Mathematics Is Taught

At Ordsall, mathematics learning is structured and sequenced using the White Rose Maths schemes of learning, which support a mastery approach. This ensures that concepts are introduced in small, carefully planned steps, revisited over time and taught in depth, while allowing teachers to adapt lessons to meet the needs of their pupils.

The first 15 minutes of every mathematics lesson are dedicated to fluency.
During this time, pupils revisit key number facts, methods and representations through focused practice and retrieval. This daily fluency work builds confidence, accuracy and automaticity, ensuring pupils are ready to access new learning.

Lessons follow our shared Ordsall lesson design, providing a consistent structure across the school:

• Big Picture – placing learning in context and making links to prior knowledge

• Revisit – strengthening recall of key facts and concepts

• Teach – introducing new learning through clear modelling and explanation

• Learning Together – guided practice, discussion and exploration

• Independent Learning – applying learning with increasing independence

• Reflect – reviewing learning and addressing misconceptions

This structure supports retrieval, purposeful practice and reflection, helping pupils build mathematical security over time.

Developing Mathematical Thinking and Mastery

Alongside our lesson design, we use a Maths Thinking Progression to deepen pupils’ mathematical understanding and reasoning. This ensures that pupils move beyond simply completing tasks to thinking carefully about structure, relationships and meaning.

The Maths Thinking Progression is structured around four key strands:

Practise

Can you do the method?
Pupils build procedural fluency, confidence and accuracy through near-identical calculations and small-step, scaffolded examples. This is closely linked to the daily fluency focus at the start of each lesson.

Variation and Application

Do you understand the structure? Can you use it in a familiar context?
Pupils strengthen conceptual understanding by exploring what has changed and what has stayed the same. Carefully chosen variation prevents over-reliance on a single model or method.

Reason

Can you explain or justify your thinking?
Pupils reason mathematically using precise vocabulary through activities such as true or false, always/sometimes/never, “convince me”, and spotting or correcting mistakes.

Solve Problems

Can you apply your learning?
Pupils apply their understanding in less familiar, richer or more open-ended situations, including word problems, multi-step tasks and investigations.

Together, these approaches ensure pupils develop both fluency and deep understanding, not just procedural competence.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, mathematics is taught in line with the EYFS statutory framework and focuses on developing strong foundations in number and numerical patterns.

Children learn through a combination of play-based exploration, adult-guided activities and focused teaching. They develop early mathematical understanding by:

• counting, comparing and ordering quantities

• understanding the composition of number

• recognising patterns and relationships

• exploring shape, space and measure

Ongoing observation and assessment inform next steps and support a smooth transition into Key Stage 1.

Inclusion and Challenge

We are committed to ensuring that all pupils can succeed in mathematics. Pupils work towards the same learning goals, with teaching adapted responsively through:

• clear modelling and worked examples

• concrete, pictorial and abstract representations

• structured scaffolding and targeted support

• challenge through depth, not acceleration

Pupils are encouraged to persevere, take risks and explain their thinking using accurate mathematical language.

Impact of Mathematics at Ordsall

The impact of our mathematics curriculum is seen in pupils who:

• demonstrate fluency and confidence with number

• reason clearly and articulate their thinking

• apply mathematical knowledge to problem-solving situations

• show positive attitudes, resilience and enjoyment in mathematics

Impact is evaluated through pupil discussion, work in books, lesson visits, learning walks and assessment information. This triangulated approach ensures assessment reflects secure understanding and informs future teaching.