Mathematics
Maths at Kelsall
At Kelsall, our teaching approach revolves around mastery, enabling pupils to acquire a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject. The mastery approach cultivates critical thinking abilities, rather than only relying on procedural knowledge. It also recognises the value of a coherent journey in which whole-class groups tackle concepts in small, incremental steps. Making connections between these steps and concepts is fundamental within mastery teaching and is a theme that is constantly revisited. We firmly believe that every child can achieve, and we aim to instil a love for maths that continues to be nurtured throughout their lives. We understand that mistakes are valuable opportunities to re-think and understand more deeply and we believe that learning is richer when children and teachers alike focus on identifying and sharing mistakes as well as solutions.
At Kelsall, we use Power Maths, a well-structured teaching and learning process that empowers teachers to ensure that every child masters each mathematical concept securely and deeply. By breaking down complex mathematical concepts into simpler conceptual components, children are able to grasp each step in the learning sequence, making mathematics transparent and logically coherent. We carefully design interactive lessons to establish deep understanding in small steps, as well as fluency in key facts such as multiplication tables and number bonds. Our ethos is that the whole class works on the same content and no child is left behind.
Following a 5-part mastery lesson structure, we aim to provide opportunities for the children to explore their reasoning and problem-solving skills, encouraging them to challenge themselves and their thinking. The children are given time to explore a concept in context and encouraged to discuss this with their peers using concrete resources and representations to support and strengthen their understanding. Children gradually master concepts one step at a time in lessons that embrace a Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (C-P-A) approach; this avoids cognitive overload and allows children to build on prior learning, see patterns and make connections. To ensure sustained progress we use live marking, ensuring children receive feedback at the point of learning, before giving whole-class feedback the following session to address any misconceptions. We aim to provide children with the confidence to explain their methods and thought process using mathematical vocabulary, enabling them to reflect on their learning at the end of the lesson.
