At St Ambrose Catholic Academy, our mathematics curriculum follows a mastery approach to teaching and learning. We achieve this mastery approach through the following ways:
- Developing mathematical thinking
- Carefully sequenced, small-step learning
- Building fluency
- Using representations that expose mathematical structures
We understand that mastering Maths means acquiring a deep, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject and are committed to ensuring every child, regardless of prior attainment, has access to a Maths curriculum which maximises their progress and academic achievement.
We teach Maths using Maths Mastery through Ark Curriculum Plus, an approach to teaching which has been based on extensive research into Maths teaching around the world and is written by world-leading educational experts.
An important aspect of Mathematics Mastery is the daily Maths Meeting, which is used 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.
At St Ambrose Catholic Academy we place a high value on fluency and understand that factual recall and fluency in mathematical procedures are vitally important in order for our children to gain the mathematical knowledge they need to succeed in life. We therefore place great emphasis in our teaching on using concrete resources and pictorial representations with our pupils to fully understand the concepts and principles being taught.
