Maths

“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we believe mathematics is a God-given language that helps us understand the beauty, order, and patterns of His creation. Through our Maths Mastery approach, we ensure all pupils know more, remember more, and do more as they progress through the school.

Our curriculum is built on the belief that every child can succeed in mathematics. Using the White Rose Maths scheme alongside NCETM Mastery principles, learning is carefully sequenced in small, connected steps to develop deep understanding, confidence, and independence.

Our Catholic Ethos

We see mathematics as a reflection of God’s creativity and design. Through patterns, reasoning, and problem-solving, pupils develop perseverance, curiosity, and truth—living out Gospel values in their learning.

Curriculum Threads: Mathematical Concepts

Our curriculum ensures pupils develop fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving across key areas:

Number – place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio and algebra
Geometry – shape, position and direction
Measurement – length, mass, capacity, time, money, area, perimeter and conversions
Statistics

Pupils build:

Conceptual understanding (knowing and understanding mathematical ideas)
Procedural fluency (carrying out methods accurately and efficiently)
Application (solving problems in a range of contexts)

Curriculum Threads: Teaching for Mastery

Our approach is guided by the Five Big Ideas of Mastery:

Coherence – small, connected steps build deep understanding
Representation and Structure – manipulatives and models expose mathematical relationships
Mathematical Thinking – reasoning, explaining, and making connections
Fluency – secure recall and flexible use of number facts
Variation – carefully designed examples to deepen understanding

Lessons follow a Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) approach, helping pupils see the maths before applying formal methods.

Implementation

Mathematics is taught through engaging, inclusive lessons that promote confidence and resilience:

Whole-class teaching with high expectations for all
Daily retrieval and fluency practice to secure long-term memory
Precise mathematical language through talk and sentence stems
Use of manipulatives (e.g. Numicon, Base 10, bar models)
Opportunities for reasoning, explaining, and problem-solving in every lesson
Support through scaffolding and challenge through depth, not acceleration

Impact

By the end of Year 6, pupils will:

Be fluent in key number facts and calculation strategies
Reason mathematically using clear and precise language
Solve problems confidently in a range of contexts
Make connections between mathematical concepts
Show resilience, independence, and enjoyment in mathematics
Recognise mathematics as both a life skill and a reflection of God’s order