Maths Curriculum  

At The Colman Schools we use the Ark Mathematics Mastery programme. This approach has three key principles: deep understanding, mathematical thinking and language, with problem solving at the heart of our curriculum.

Instead of learning mathematical procedures by rote, we want pupils to build a deep conceptual knowledge and understanding.  

The Maths Mastery curriculum is designed to make sure that the requirements of the 2014 National Curriculum for England are fully met. The National Curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:  

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately 

• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language  

• solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions. (NC 2014) 

The curriculum is cumulative – each school year begins with a focus on ‘Place Value’ which is applied throughout the curriculum. A crucial part of a ‘deep understanding’ in math’s is being able to represent ideas in many different ways. We adopt a CPA (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract) using objects and pictures to represent abstract concepts which is essential to achieving mastery. We believe it is essential for pupils to become independent thinkers in and out of the classroom in order to fully master mathematical concepts.  

We believe that pupils should:  

• explore, wonder, question and conjecture
• compare, classify, sort,
• Experiment, play with possibilities, vary an aspect and see what happens
• Experiment, play with possibilities, vary an aspect and see what happens 
• make theories and predictions and act purposefully to see what happens, generalise. (Mathematics Mastery 2019) 

Good questioning is used to develop pupils’ ability to compare, modify and generalise, all building a deeper understanding of mathematics. We use a range of questioning techniques to support pupils in lessons. 

We believe that pupils should be encouraged to use mathematical language and full sentences throughout their maths learning to deepen their understanding of concepts. The children are introduced to relevant vocabulary at the start of every lesson and given the opportunity to use and develop their understanding within the lesson during the daily Talk Task.  

We promote a growth mindset belief – that all children can achieve regardless of their background. We believe that everyone can get better at maths, when they put in the effort and work hard.  

Our aim is that all pupils will become confident and competent mathematicians; they will be able to respond proactively and positively to challenges by exploring, recognising patterns, hypothesising and they will be empowered to problem solve in new and unfamiliar situations.  

As well as a daily maths lesson, each class has regular Maths Meetings. These help to consolidate key areas of mathematics. Maths Meetings provide an opportunity to teach and revise ‘general knowledge maths’ which may not explicitly be covered during the maths lesson, and also allows the daily integration of maths into the surrounding environment. This means that pupils are practising concepts and skills on a regular basis, meaning they are continually building on their mastery of these concepts. (Ark Curriculum 2022).  

More information can be found below: 

AC+ Maths Primary Brochure Digital 2 (arkcurriculumplus.org.uk)