‘The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated simple.’

Stan Gudder

The language of mathematics is international. The basic skills of mathematics are vital for the life opportunities of our children. Our aim is for all children to think mathematically, enabling them to reason, solve problems and assess risk in a range of contexts. 

At High Halden Primary School, our Mathematics Mastery curriculum has been developed to ensure every child can flourish as a mathematician. We believe maths provides opportunities for children to experience a sense of awe and wonder as they solve a problem for the first time, discover different solutions and make links between different areas of mathematics. Teachers structure lessons to provide pupils with a deep understanding of the subject through a concrete, pictorial and abstract approach. This ensures pupils fully understand what they are learning.

Key features of our Maths Mastery curriculum:  

• High expectations for every child  

• Fewer topics, greater depth  

• Number sense and place value come first  

• Focus on mathematical thinking and language  

• Resources to support  

• Problem solving is central  

• Calculate with confidence– understand why it works 

Mathematics Mastery places emphasis on the cumulative mastery of essential knowledge and skills in mathematics. It embeds a deeper understanding of maths by utilising a concrete, pictorial, abstract approach so that pupils understand what they are doing rather than just learning to repeat routines without grasping what is happening.