Updated January 2013 Ysgol Golwg y Cwm Policy for Mathematics/Numeracy Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY POLICY FOR NUMERACY Document Purpose This policy reflects the values and philosophy of Ysgol Golwg y Cwm in relation to the teaching and learning of Mathematics/Numeracy. It sets out a framework within which all staff, both teaching and non-teaching, work. It gives guidance on planning, teaching and assessment. We, at Ysgol Golwg y Cwm, believe that numeracy is of high importance on the school’s agenda. It contributes greatly to the child’s ability to access many areas of the curriculum today, as well as life skills for the future. Audience This policy, having been presented to and agreed upon by the whole staff and Governing Body is distributed to: All teaching staff School governors A copy of the policy is also available in: General office This is to ensure that the policy is readily available to visiting teachers, support staff and parents. Other copies are kept by the Numeracy Co-ordination Team for the school’s General Adviser(s) and for Inspector(s). Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY Subject Aims Numeracy is a core subject within the National Curriculum. The aims for Numeracy are: Consistency with school philosophy of Powys Education Authority, following Curriculum Policy Guidelines To take into account National Curriculum Statutory Guidance for Numeracy To take into account the new DFES Numeracy Framework To fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum Programmes of Study and Attainment Targets for Mathematics To promote positive attitudes towards mathematics/numeracy and an enthusiasm for mathematics/numeracy work in school To use numeracy to analyse and communicate information To develop mental agility and logical reasoning To develop mathematical and numerical understanding through practical tasks, enquiry and investigations To provide breadth and balance of numerical / mathematical activities for all children To create an awareness of the relevance of numeracy to the whole curriculum To provide a differentiated mathematics/numeracy curriculum to meet the needs of all the children through the continuity of experiences To ensure a progressive development of mathematical/numerical concepts, knowledge, skills and attitudes Work in Mathematic follows the structure of the National Curriculum, being based on the Programmes of Study, Attainment Targets and Level Descriptions. Children at Ysgol Golwg y Cwm follow the National Curriculum for Mathematics and work at levels appropriate to their ability. It is expected that most children will achieve Outcome 5 by the end of Foundation Phase, and level 4 by the end of Key Stage 2. Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY In the teaching and learning of Mathematics/Numeracy, we can identify a number of objectives which will enable children to apply knowledge and skills, solve problems of a practical and investigative nature, and communicate their ideas to others using appropriate mathematical language. Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY The children will: Experience a balanced range of mathematical/numerical activities as an integral part of the whole school curriculum Have opportunities to develop basic mathematical/numerical skills, concepts, attitudes and knowledge appropriate to the development of the child Have opportunities to acquire, practice and develop mathematical/numerical skills Have opportunities to work in a variety of ways, class, group, individually, depending on the task Have access to practical tasks which will enable them to develop mathematical language Be able to perform basic operations and apply them in a variety of situations crosscurricularly Have opportunities for oral work and to develop skills in mental calculation. Objectives for end of Foundation Phase: During the Foundation Phase, children develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematics and numeracy through oral, practical and play activities. They enjoy using and applying mathematics and number in practical tasks, in real-life problems, and within mathematics itself. They use a variety of ICT resources as tools for exploring number, for obtaining real-life data and for presenting their findings. Pupils develop their use and understanding of mathematical language in context, through communicating/talking about their work. They ask and respond to questions, and explore alternative ideas. They use appropriate mathematical language to explain their thinking and the methods they use to support the development of their reasoning. They develop a range of flexible methods for working mentally with number, in order to solve problems from a variety of contexts, checking their answers in different ways, moving on to using more formal methods of working and recording when they are developmentally ready. They explore, estimate and solve real life problems in both the indoor and outdoor environment. They develop their understanding of measures, investigate the properties of shape and develop early ideas of position and movement through practical experiences in a range of subject developmental areas. They sort, match, sequence and compare objects and events, explore and create simple patterns and relationships, and present their work in a variety of ways. Skills Children should develop their application and understanding of their mathematical skills using contexts and techniques from across the range. They should be given opportunities to: Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY Solve mathematical problems Pupils should be given opportunities to: select and use appropriate mathematical and numerical ideas, equipment and materials to solve practical problems identify, collect and organise information in purposeful contexts develop a variety of mathematical approaches and strategies estimate solutions to calculations, check their answers in various ways estimate the size of a measure Communicate mathematically Pupils should be given opportunities to: develop their mathematical language across the range of mathematics, and use it in their role play and in communicating/talking to adults about their work present their work orally, pictorially and in written form; moving on to using more formal methods of recording when they are developmentally ready extract information from a variety of sources, including ICT use a variety of ways to represent collected data devise and refine informal, personal methods of recording mental calculations, gradually moving to using words and symbols in number sentences Reason mathematically develop a variety of mental and written strategies of computation interpret solutions to calculations within the context of the given problem recognise patterns, sequences and relationships through practical activities and discussion investigate repeating patterns and relationships and make simple predictions interpret information presented in simple graphs or diagrams Key stage 2 Skills Pupils should develop their application and understanding of their mathematical skills using contexts and techniques from across the Range 1. Solve mathematical problems Pupils should be given opportunities to: select and use the appropriate mathematics, materials, units of measure and resources to solve problems in a variety of contexts identify, obtain and process information needed to carry out the work develop their own mathematical strategies and ideas and consider those of others Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY try different approaches; use a variety of strategies, sequences of operation and methods of calculating use their prior knowledge to find mathematical facts that they have not learned, and to solve numerical problems use flexible and effective methods of computation and recording estimate solutions to calculations; use alternative strategies to check the accuracy of answers appreciate the continuous nature of measures, and that measurement is approximate; estimate measures, and measure to an appropriate degree of accuracy in a range of contexts. 2. Communicate mathematically Pupils should be given the opportunity to: use correct mathematical language, notation, symbols and conventions to talk about or to represent their work to others recognise, and generalize in words, patterns that arise in numerical, spatial or practical situations visualize and describe shapes, movements and transformations read information from charts, diagrams, graphs and text use a variety of methods to represent data devise and refine their own way of recording explain strategies, methods, choices and conclusions to others in a variety of ways-verbally, graphically, using informal written methods 3. Reason mathematically Pupils should be given opportunities to: develop a variety of mental and written strategies of computation check results and interpret solutions to calculations, including calculator displays; check against the context of the problem that solutions are reasonable develop early ideas of algebra and mathematical structure by exploring number sequences and relationships; explain and predict subsequent terms investigate and generalize repeating patterns and relationships; search for pattern in their own results present and interpret a wide range of graphs and diagrams that represent data; draw conclusions from this data; recognise that some conclusions can be uncertain or misleading make and investigate mathematical hypotheses, predictions and conjectures Curriculum and School Organisation In order to achieve these aims and objectives, the teaching of Mathematics is organised half termly into units of work. Throughout Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 all Mathematics Programmes of Study from National Curriculum are covered. Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY Mathematics is generally taught as a separate subject and is planned and timetabled in each year group on a daily basis. New Heinemann Mathematics is used as the core resource for the teaching of Mathematics. Teachers also use their own teacher-prepared materials and other resources as appropriate. Resources are kept in each Key Stage, and there is a central store for resources in the Key Stage 2 area of school. Mathematics/Numeracy is particularly linked to work in other curriculum areas and staff are constantly aware of its’ importance as a key skill. As well as the Heinemann scheme, the Cornerstones planning scheme ensures cross-curricular numeracy skills are identified and implemented throughout the school, and opportunities for numeracy development across all areas of the curriculum are highlighted. Children have Maths homework as appropriate within their year groups and are also expected to prepare for weekly mental mathematics and multiplication tables tests. The Numeracy Coordination Team receives any information/resources which arrive in school, but any decisions regarding Numeracy are made by the whole staff. Attendance at Mathematics/Numeracy courses involve all members of staff where appropriate. Planning and Recording Teaching is planned so that Mathematics is timetabled each week. The amount of time each week can be flexible and may vary slightly, particularly Mathematics/Numeracy work linked with topics in Cornerstones planning. Subject planning is incorporated in class planning. This takes place half-termly and is recorded on medium term and weekly planning sheets. Planning at Foundation Phase/Key Stage and whole school level ensures continuity and progression in Mathematics / Numeracy. Numeracy skills identified in cross-curricular activities are recorded using a colour coded system which enables class teachers to ensure coverage of these. Evaluation and Assessment Evaluation of Numeracy skills takes place on a weekly basis by the class teacher, through a ‘traffic light and action plan’ system. This is recorded in short-term plans and a general evaluation of teaching and learning is made. In addition, staff complete half-termly evaluation sheets. Teachers assess pupils by observing the child working and by regular marking of their books. At the end of each half-term children are assessed, and this information is then recorded into teachers’ assessment files and cross referenced with the new level descriptors. Individual pupil tracking sheets are also used to record these assessment performances in the form of a ‘characteristic of level’ teacher assessment, and these are used to inform decisions made when indicating pupil attainments on INCERTS As from Summer Term 2013, pupils from Yeas 2 – 6 will undertake the new NFER tests in Numeracy. Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY Transition At the end of Year 6, the children deviate from using the NHM scheme in order to follow a “Bridging Unit” organised in conjunction with the local comprehensive school. This is a unit of work which the children continue to follow in their first half term at Maesydderwen. Staff from the local comprehensive Mathematics department take several bridging lessons in Mathematics at Ysgol Golwg y Cwm in order to ease the transition from primary to secondary. Class Organisation and Teaching Style At Ysgol Golwg y Cwm class teachers are responsible for their own class organisation and teaching style in relation to Mathematics/Numeracy, but at the same time ensure these reflect the overall aims and philosophy of the school. Within classes children are taught: As a class – there are occasions in Mathematics/Numeracy when it is appropriate to teach the whole class. This may be to introduce a new module, topic, or to revise work already covered. In groups – these may vary in structure. Children are sometimes grouped by ability (mixed or similar) or in friendship groups. Teaching groups gives the teacher the opportunity to introduce topics, modules or mathematical concepts to smaller structured groups of children. This can be used when using the core mathematics resource, New Heinemann Mathematics, which structures its levels to provide extension and reinforcement work, and in teacher-prepared resources. Working in this way also eases pressure on resources, particularly in practical, investigative mathematical/numerical work. Group work provides children with opportunities to work together, share ideas and learn from each other. Individual teaching and learning also takes place. This allows the child to work on individually prepared tasks with work matched to each child’s own development. It is important to encourage children to work individually on occasion, especially on assessment tasks. Individual teaching can sometimes be limited by the resources available, especially ‘people’ resources. Throughout all aspects of class organisation and teaching style, every effort is made to differentiate work so that it is matched to the individual or group. Target Setting Each child has individual targets set termly based on the work being covered for that term. Both teacher and pupils set individual targets in Maths in order to ensure progress, and encourage pupil involvement and ownership of these. Each year group has key objectives which provide the basis for individual target setting. A child may be set targets from an earlier year group or an older year group depending upon their ability. These are then updated as deemed appropriate by the class teacher but at least on a termly basis. Targets are reviewed by both teacher and pupil in order to promote reflection on performance and the steps forward. Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY Monitoring Lesson observations are carried out annually by the Numeracy Co-ordination Team and a selection of children’s books are monitored throughout the school year groups. This monitoring process includes Governing Body input, with a team of members scrutinizing pupils’ work also. Reporting Teachers will report on children’s progress in annual reports to parents. Coordination Team’s Role The co-ordination team works to support all the staff in Mathematics/Numeracy. This can include: Preparing a draft policy for staff discussion Advice Help in planning Leading staff meetings INSET Coordinating resources Monitoring and evaluating resources Resources and Accommodation A variety of Mathematics/Numeracy resources are available in school, which are shared and to which all staff have access. Materials, equipment and appropriate age/ability resources for practical activities, games etc. are stored in individual classes/year groups. Some specialist resources for Mathematics/Numeracy teaching with ALN children are available in the Specialist Teaching Facilities and in the SENCO resource area. Class teachers are responsible for maintaining Mathematics resources, monitoring their use and organising their accessible storage. Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY INSET Provision INSET needs are identified through: School development planning Curriculum review and evaluation Coordination Team needs Individual needs All teaching and non-teaching staff at Ysgol Golwg Y Cwm are responsible for ensuring that all children, irrespective of gender, ability, ethnic origin and social circumstances, have access to the whole curriculum and make the greatest possible progress. All children have equal access to the Mathematics/Numeracy Curriculum, its teaching and learning, throughout any one year. Day-to-day monitoring of the Mathematics/Numeracy policy, and the provision of equal opportunities in Mathematics/Numeracy is the responsibility of the class teacher. General monitoring is the responsibility of the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher. Additional Learning Needs/More Able and Talented All children should have access to a broad, balanced curriculum which includes Mathematics and should make the greatest progress possible. Provision for children with ALN in relation to Mathematics/Numeracy is the responsibility of the class teacher, support staff and SEN Coordination Team as appropriate. The school’s Provision Management programme ensures that all children with ALN receive appropriate interventions. Learning difficulties may be addressed by means of direct teaching to the class or small groups, or by providing direct experiences in practical tasks through using a wide range of equipment and resources. More Able and Talented pupils are identified through analysis of data and teacher assessment. Using a wide bank of resources, including ICT, class teachers are able to challenge and further develop the numeracy skills and knowledge of these groups. Children are provided with activities above and beyond usual classroom practice. Staff plan for opportunities to develop skills as specified in the new Numeracy Framework. Evaluation Evaluation and review of the policy for Mathematics/ Numeracy takes place on an annual basis. The staff within their Phase/Key Stage work together to discuss any changes or adaptations of policy. These are then discussed and agreed by the whole staff before the policy document is amended. Throughout the year the whole staff are encouraged to feed back information and ideas to the co-ordination team. This may include comments on work the children are undertaking, comments on the availability and suitability of resources and any other relevant comments about the overall structure of the Mathematics Schemes of Work. This information is gathered from half termly subject evaluations and ADDS sessions. Ysgol Golwg y Cwm POLICY FOR NUMERACY Curriculum Cymreig See separate policy. ESDGC (Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship) At Ysgol Golwg y Cwm we believe in treating the world and its people as though we intend to live in it forever. Where possible class teachers utilize Maths/Numeracy lessons to explore and discuss issues surrounding ESDGC. More details can be found in the school’s policy on ESDGC.
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