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:
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Experience a balanced range of mathematical/numerical activities as an integral part
of the whole school curriculum
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Have opportunities to develop basic mathematical/numerical skills, concepts,
attitudes and knowledge appropriate to the development of the child
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Have opportunities to acquire, practice and develop mathematical/numerical skills
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Have opportunities to work in a variety of ways, class, group, individually, depending
on the task
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Have access to practical tasks which will enable them to develop mathematical
language
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Be able to perform basic operations and apply them in a variety of situations crosscurricularly
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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:
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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:
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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
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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:
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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
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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:
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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.