Maths
Mastery Maths
In this section you will find our approach to mathematics in the Early Years.
Maths in EYFS!
At Clapgate we are part of the NCETM Mastery Number Programme to support learning in mathematics.
At Clapgate, we teach our maths in EYFS following a Mastery approach so that we have high expectations for all of our children and don’t put a ceiling on their learning. Successful teaching of Mastery maths in the EYFS lies within the context of high-quality classroom provision, based in our indoor and outdoor learning environments. Our mathematically rich environment provides a range of contexts for our children to explore concepts using different representations on multiple occasions, using concrete, pictorial and abstract resources.
It is vital that we focus on deepening our children’s mathematical understanding, reasoning, problem-solving and fluency. Our aim is to develop well-rounded, confident mathematicians. As a setting, the emphasis is placed on the enjoyment of mathematical ideas, language, and activities as well as having regular high-quality, purposeful interactions with confident adults.
Our children are encouraged to communicate their mathematical thinking in a wide variety of ways including manipulation of resources, gestures, pointing, body language, mark-making and talk. This allows our children to acquire a secure and long-term understanding of key mathematical concepts, meaning that they are able to progress effectively when moving on to topics, which are more complex.
Mastery Maths in Reception!
Mastery Maths in Reception is planned for in a range of ways including whole class focussed sessions, adult-directed small group work, continuous provision and well-planned interventions. Our curriculum is designed to focus on the six key areas of early mathematics which collectively provide a platform for everything children will encounter as they progress through their mathematical learning at primary school, and beyond.
These areas are:
- Cardinality and counting
- Comparison
- Composition
- Pattern
- Shap and Space
- Measure
These areas form the fundamental mathematical basis of a CBeebies series of five-minute animated programmes called Numberblocks. We use these and the NCETM materials to draw out and build on the maths embedded in the stories contained in each episode.
Our current curriculum explores each number in depth, focussing on its links to real life as well as functions. For example, when exploring the number 3, we look at the ‘3 ‘ness’ of 3, 3-sided shapes, 3-step patterns and real-life links such as house number 3 and being the 3rd house in the road. The children are encouraged to explore patterns within numbers and in turn, innately experiment with relationships between our six key areas of mastery.
As a school, the children in Reception also take part in the NCETM Mastering Number Programme which aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children from Reception through to Year 1 and Year 2. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number.
Mastery Maths in Nursery!
Similarly to Reception, Maths in Nursery is also taught through a mastery approach. The learning of maths is heavily taught through play based experiences both indoors and outdoors. We focus on deepening the children’s understanding of mathematical concepts through practical adult-led activities, songs and rhymes, co-play experiences, and a range of high quality resources (e.g. concreate/ pictorial/ abstract). We have a strong focus on using sentence stems to develop reasoning during play and within the daily routines. Through adult-directed and child-initiated play, we also focus on the six key areas of mastery stated above.
