Kilham Church Of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Maths at Kilham
At Kilham CE Primary School, we follow the statutory National Curriculum Programmes of Study for Mathematics in Key Stages 1 and 2. These can be accessed by clicking here:
Maths No Problem
Starting in September 2018, both Key Stages 1 and 2 are following a new scheme known as Maths No Problem. It incorporates the use of resources, problem solving and group work, the Primary Series is child-centred and fun to teach and was assessed by the DfE’s expert panel, which judged that it met the core criteria for a high-quality textbook to support teaching for mastery. The scheme is fully aligned with the 2014 English National Curriculum for Mathematics.
Teaching for Mastery – The idea is that the whole class works through a programme of study at the same pace with ample time on each topic before moving on. Ideas are revisited at higher levels as the curriculum spirals through the years. This inclusive approach, and its emphasis on promoting multiple methods of solving a problem, builds self-confidence and resilience in pupils. Activities are introduced by various characters in the ways – some of these are seen below:
Differentiated Activities - Tasks and activities are designed to be easy for pupils to enter while still containing challenging components. Though the whole class goes through the same content at the same pace, there is still plenty of opportunity for differentiation. Unlike the old model, where advanced learners are accelerated through new content, those pupils who grasp concepts quickly are challenged with rich and sophisticated problems within the topic. Those children who are not sufficiently fluent are provided additional support to consolidate their understanding before moving on. For advanced learners, the textbooks also contain non-routine questions for pupils to develop their higher-order thinking skills.
Problem Solving - Lessons and activities are designed to be taught using problem-solving approaches to encourage pupils’ higher-level thinking. The focus is on working with pupils’ core competencies building on what they know to develop their relational understanding.
Concrete / Pictorial / Abstract Approach – Children learn new concept initially by concrete examples, such as counters, base 10 equipment, then progress to looking at and drawing pictorial representations before finally using more abstract symbols, such as the addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and equals signs.
Variation – Questions and examples are carefully varied by expert authors to encourage pupils to think about the maths. Rather than provide mechanical repetition, the examples are designed to deepen pupils’ understanding and reveal misconceptions.
You can find out further information by following this link: https://mathsnoproblem.com
RM Easimaths: RM Easimaths is web-based so it's available online wherever you are. It has a colourful, user-friendly interface and a cast of fun characters with unique personalities that children can identify with. So not only is it simple to use, it doesn't even feel like they're learning. Children work at their own level as it is an individualised learning programme. It has built-in diagnostics – these determine which exercises and materials are selected. Specific activities can be pulled out around particular objectives to support students at individual level.
Here is the cast of fun characters:
Every child is allocated an RM Easimaths code when they are ready to access this programme. Once on the scheme we recommend that children complete 3 x 15 minute sessions a week for maximum impact. Children can access this at home and it is one of our home-learning expectations.
You can access this on the following link: https://www.rmeasimaths.com
Previous Schemes: The school retains Busy Ant Maths at Years 1-4 and Target Your Maths text books for Year 3-6. If teachers feel these are useful to reinforce Maths No Problem or to differentiate then they may still be used.