Intent 

At Radcliffe Infant and Nursery School, our maths curriculum is designed to ensure that every child can learn, grow and achieve together. We aim to provide a coherent, ambitious and inclusive mathematics curriculum that enables all pupils to become confident, fluent and resilient mathematicians.

Our curriculum intent is to:

Secure strong mathematical foundations for every child

We build deep understanding of number, place value and calculation through carefully sequenced lessons and frequent opportunities to practise, revisit and apply key concepts. Pupils develop fluency through varied and purposeful practice, enabling them to recall and apply knowledge accurately and efficiently.

Develop confident mathematical reasoners

We teach children to think mathematically: to explain, justify and prove their ideas using precise mathematical language. Through guided talk, stem sentences and structured representations, pupils learn to explore patterns, make connections and articulate their thinking clearly.

Enable pupils to use mathematics to solve problems

Children learn to apply their knowledge to both routine and non-routine problems, breaking tasks into logical steps and drawing on a range of strategies. We nurture perseverance, creativity and a “have a go” mindset so pupils approach mathematical challenges with confidence.

Ensure high expectations and success for all pupils

We believe that every child can achieve in mathematics. Our curriculum is planned to be accessible, inclusive and equitable for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those who require additional support or challenge. All children experience a rich, broad mathematical curriculum and move through learning in small, manageable steps.

Foster positive attitudes and the relevance of maths in life

We aim to develop enjoyment, curiosity and enthusiasm for maths. Pupils learn how mathematics is used in everyday life, helping them to become confident, capable learners who see the subject as meaningful, creative and essential for their future learning

Implementation

Our school curriculum and the teaching of mathematics is shaped by our school values and our commitment to delivering a high-quality, inclusive curriculum. We use the NCETM Primary Mastery materials, including the Curriculum Prioritisation, to ensure coherent sequencing, secure progression and a mastery approach across the school. Oracy is embedded throughout our maths lessons so that pupils learn to think, reason and communicate mathematically with increasing clarity and confidence.

A well-sequenced, small-steps curriculum rooted in mastery

• Learning follows the NCETM Primary Mastery curriculum sequence, ensuring concepts are taught in carefully connected small steps.
• Key ideas are revisited throughout the year so children secure deep understanding and build strong foundations.
• Lesson design anticipates misconceptions and provides clear representations to support pupils’ thinking.
• Each step uses clear mathematical language and structured talk to help pupils internalise new concepts, recognise patterns and express relationships.
• Representations and structures are introduced alongside spoken explanations, supporting pupils in making meaning and linking concrete, pictorial and abstract ideas.

High-quality whole-class teaching

• All pupils learn the same core content together, with support or challenge provided where needed so every child can keep up.
• Teaching uses the Five Big Ideas of Mastery (coherence, representation & structure, mathematical thinking, fluency, and variation).
• Teachers model high-quality mathematical language and encourage pupils to articulate their thinking using full sentences and agreed sentence stems
• Representations and manipulatives are chosen purposefully to build conceptual understanding before moving into abstract work.

A strong focus on mathematical talk and reasoning

• Teachers promote mathematical thinking through questioning, talk partners and guided discussion.
• Pupils use stem sentences, precise vocabulary and full explanations to articulate their ideas and justify their reasoning clearly.
• Reasoning and problem-solving are integrated throughout lessons, not taught as separate activities.

Adaptive teaching to meet the needs of all learners

• Teachers adapt through language, questioning, concrete resources and adult modelling, ensuring every child can access the mathematical thinking of the lesson.
• Challenge is provided through deepening tasks, reasoning prompts and opportunities to make connections and generalise.
• Teachers use in-the-moment formative assessment to ensure all pupils are keeping up with the pace of learning.

Ongoing assessment to inform teaching

• Teachers use questioning, listening and observation of pupil talk as key assessment tools, enabling them to respond rapidly to misconceptions.
• Short, timely interventions support children who need additional practice to secure key concepts.
• Assessment information helps us monitor progress across pupil groups, ensuring equity and inclusion.

The CPA (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract) is at the heart of teaching and learning at Radcliffe Infants. Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. We ensure that well thought out manipulatives are used to introduce new concepts to all children. To ensure lesson learning continues to be accessible to all, children are quickly identified as needing further support through interventions. We use the ‘numberstacks’ intervention resource as this has a direct link to the government guidance of the ‘Ready to Progress criteria’. This allows children to gain a deep understanding of concepts they need to know prior to being able to progress to the next level of learning.  

In Reception (EYFS), children learn by playing, exploring, investigating, being active and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outdoors. We recognise that children learn through routine, continuous provision and incidental learning opportunities, as well as planned activities and sessions. Mathematical understanding is developed through stories, songs, games, questioning, daily routines, imaginative play, child initiated learning and structured teaching. Strategies such as tens frames and part-whole diagrams are introduced in child friendly ways which help lay the foundations for future learning.

Alongside our scheme of learning, we also use ‘teach active’ as an additional resource. This provides teachers with resources and ideas to support the teaching of the National Curriculum through physical activity. In addition to our daily teaching of Maths, we have joined the Mastering Number Program this year to support our teaching of fluency and mental maths. We also have Ipads accessible throughout continuous provision to allow children to practice their fluency skills on mathematical apps such as Times table rock stars and Numbots.

Impact

As a result of this rich, structured yet varied mathematics curriculum our children will become confident mathematicians who have a love of maths and recognise the importance of maths in the real world. They will be able to demonstrate flexibility to move between different representations of maths and have a quick recall of number facts. We assess our children against the Early Learning Goals for EYFS and the end of Key stage 1 expectations for Year 1 and 2. We monitor the work children do and their attitudes to learning and provide children with opportunities to discuss their learning to ensure a deep understanding has been achieved and remembered. Most of our children reach age related expectations by the end of the year, with some exceeding this expectation. For children identified as not having met the end of year expectations, further support is provided through targeted interventions to enable them to catch up and keep up quickly.

KS1 Curriculum Maps