Maths

Vision 

 

At Fairmead, mathematics is a powerful tool for making sense of the world. Our vision is for every young person to become a confident, curious mathematician who sees maths as relevant, accessible and meaningful. Through concrete, pictorial, symbolic, sensory and language-based experiences, young people develop the deep understanding they need to solve problems, think logically and apply their learning to real-life situations. 

 

We want our young people to embrace mathematical challenge with resilience and creativity. Whether exploring patterns through play, building fluency with number facts, or tackling multi-step reasoning tasks, we celebrate the journey of mathematical thinking - making connections, testing ideas and discovering what works. Above all, we foster a love of mathematics where struggle is seen as growth, mistakes are valued as learning opportunities, and every young person believes they can succeed. 

 

Practice 

 

Through a mastery approach, we build flexible learners with deep understanding who can apply their knowledge to problems presented in a variety of formats. Our teaching is underpinned by coherence, representation and structure, mathematical thinking and talk, fluency and variation – the key areas of teaching for mastery in mathematics. Lessons are broken down into small, connected steps that gradually unfold concepts, with explicit links between concrete, pictorial, symbolic, sensory and language-based representations.  

 

Mathematical struggle is embraced and reframed as a positive, transient experience. Young people are equipped with strategies to independently 'unstick' themselves, asking questions like ‘What do I know?’, ‘Can I simplify the problem?’, and ‘Can I draw a diagram?’. Misconceptions are addressed proactively through carefully planned tasks, and learners develop resilience through a classroom culture where it is safe to be wrong and mistakes are celebrated as learning opportunities. Through mathematical journaling, learners have the opportunity to explore, test, model and draw their mathematics, allowing them the space for creativity and encouraging independence in sense-making and connecting their learning.  

 

For young people at the earliest stages of learning, mathematics emerges through rich sensory experiences embedded naturally throughout the school day. We recognise that many of our preformal learners explore mathematical concepts through repeated patterns of behaviour known as schemas. Adults observe carefully to identify these schemas and plan targeted mathematical experiences that harness this natural drive for exploration. Mathematical understanding develops through naturally occurring personal schemas, consistent routines, playful exploration and meaningful interaction with the environment. We nurture mathematical thinking by creating purposeful opportunities where young people experience cause and effect, anticipate and predict, notice patterns and explore spatial relationships, with mathematical concepts narrated by supporting adults. 

 

For young people engaging with formal learning, weekly maths lessons follow carefully sequenced learning pathways developed from the National Curriculum, adapted to meet individual needs. Learners engage with a balance of individual, paired and group work, moving through recap, anchor tasks, teacher-directed learning, and guided and independent practice. The connected model (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract-Language-Sensory) forms the foundation of all our teaching, ensuring rich exploration with manipulatives and explicit linking of representations. Resources are pulled from White Rose Maths, along with a small number of other trusted, mathematically rigorous sources, to supplement teacher input and provide practice.  

Mathematics is explicitly linked to real life, first-hand experiences for young people engaging with our Life Skills curriculum. As well as their timetabled maths sessions, mathematical skills are linked to and built on within themed Life Skills units, allowing pupils to revisit and deepen their understanding in practical contexts.   

 

Assessment is ongoing and purposeful. We assess understanding using bespoke diagnostic tools tailored to our pathways. Before each unit begins, learners are assessed to establish strengths and areas for development, enabling precise planning for all stages of confidence. Understanding is assessed again at the end of every block of teaching. 

 

The Difference Mathematics Makes 

 

Through their mathematical journey, young people develop confidence and independence. They learn to independently apply their knowledge to increasingly complex problems, demonstrating recall of facts and procedures, and showing flexibility in moving between different contexts and representations. Our learners recognise relationships, make connections and take pride in presenting their work with care and precision. 

Young people become articulate mathematical thinkers, able to reason verbally, pictorially and in written form. They choose the equipment and strategies best suited to each scenario, taking ownership of their learning. Mathematical struggle is no longer a barrier but an opportunity - our learners feel safe to make mistakes, knowing it is part of the learning process. 

 

Mathematics at Fairmead equips young people with essential life skills. Through problem-solving, logical thinking and practical application, they gain the tools needed for independent, safe futures and the confidence to manage their lives in the community. Our teaching, feedback and interventions ensure a greater proportion of young people make measurable progress, striving to be the best mathematicians they can be.