Maths

School Maths Lead: Mrs J Elvins

At Crown Meadow First School and Nursery (CMFS), our aim is to provide every child with the mathematical knowledge, skills and confidence they need to thrive both now and in the future.

Maths Curriculum Overview

Mathematics is a creative, logical and universal language that helps pupils understand and describe the world around them. It underpins countless aspects of daily life, from financial decisions and scientific thinking to technological innovation and problem solving. At CMFS, we believe that all children can succeed in Mathematics, and we strive to cultivate positive attitudes, curiosity and confidence from the earliest stages.

In our teaching, we place strong emphasis on fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Children are encouraged to explore patterns, justify their thinking and develop efficient, accurate calculation strategies. Clear mathematical communication is a priority; pupils learn to use precise vocabulary and to articulate their ideas with confidence. Understanding is built using the Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) approach, ensuring children can represent and internalise concepts in varied and meaningful ways.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teachers draw on the EYFS Statutory Framework and Development Matters to provide a rich, developmentally appropriate mathematics curriculum. The curriculum focusses on early number sense, subitising, comparison, composition of number, pattern and the foundations of calculation. Mastering Number is embedded across the year in Reception to secure key early number concepts that children continue to build upon in Key Stage 1. White Rose is used to supplement Mastering Number for areas such as Shape, Space and Measure and spatial reasoning.

Our curriculum for Ks1 and Ks2 is rooted in the National Curriculum (2014) and informed by the DfE Ready to Progress Guidance (2020) and the NCETM Curriculum Prioritisation Materials. From this, teachers adapt Oak National Academy Mathematics lessons and resources to suit the needs of their class. These frameworks guide our sequencing of content and help us ensure that children develop deep, secure understanding through a carefully structured progression of small steps.

Lesson Design and Structure

Lessons follow a Teaching for Mastery approach, characterised by attention to small steps, the careful use of representations and structures, and opportunities for children to think mathematically rather than simply follow procedures.

Children experience a broad range of mathematical activity, including discussion, guided exploration, modelling, guided practice and reasoning. They are encouraged to consider multiple calculation methods, evaluate the efficiency of their strategies and make meaningful connections between topics.

All children take part in a daily mathematics lesson, usually lasting around one hour (in EYFS the teacher led content is much shorter, approx 15 minutes). Lessons typically begin with an anchor task, designed to reveal existing understanding and surface misconceptions. Children are encouraged to “say, show (with manipulatives as appropriate) and draw” their understanding, in addition to explaining their thinking and strategies. Teachers then guide pupils through carefully sequenced small steps, using modelling, questioning, and carefully chosen representations to build understanding. Children are given time to discuss ideas with partners, practise intelligently and apply their learning in varied contexts. Independent tasks often follow, enabling pupils to carry out intelligent practice, express reasoning, apply methods or explore the concept in greater depth.

Teachers adapt lessons responsively, drawing on ongoing assessment to ensure that every pupil is supported appropriately.

Maths and Oracy

As a school, we are committed to developing children’s oracy skills systematically across the curriculum, and Mathematics is a key focus area. In 2025, CMFS began integrating the NCETM Oracy Framework for Mathematics into our practice. This framework supports teachers in planning for purposeful mathematical talk, ensuring that discussion is not incidental but a planned and essential part of learning. It encourages the use of structured talk prompts, reasoning stems and collaborative discussion routines that help children articulate their thinking with clarity and confidence.

Mastering Number

Mastering Number is a key part of early mathematics at CMFS, delivered from EYFS through to Year 4 (currently we do not deliver Mastering Number in Year 3 but this is in development for Spring 2025). In EYFS and Key Stage 1, the programme builds deep number sense through structured activities that develop subitising, number composition, comparison and building the compositional foundations for later calculation, supported by consistent use of manipulatives like rekenreks. The programme helps identify gaps early so teachers can provide targeted intervention, ensuring strong numerical foundations.

In Key Stage 2, the programme deepens understanding of multiplicative relationships, including times tables, factors and efficient strategies. In Year 4, it supports rapid recall of multiplication and division facts to support multiplication tables knowledge in the Multiplication Tables Check (June 2026) while strengthening conceptual understanding.

Across all stages, Mastering Number promotes mathematical talk, pattern-spotting and flexible reasoning, preparing pupils for more complex problem solving.

Mastering Number forms the main driver of the daily Maths session in Reception and is an additional taught 15/20 minute session in Year 1, 2 and 4.

Useful downloads

Please click on the links below to find out more about Maths at Crown Meadow. We are at an exciting stage in developing our approach to Maths!