Mathematics

At King Athelstan, we love maths and recognise it as an essential life skill. We are committed to ensuring that every child has a positive, meaningful and successful experience of mathematics throughout their time at our school.

Our maths lessons follow a teaching for mastery approach, giving children opportunities to develop a deep and secure understanding of key mathematical concepts. Lessons are carefully designed so that all children access the same learning through concrete, pictorial and abstract steps. Concrete resources and manipulatives are used regularly and are readily available to support children of all abilities and ages.

Children who are ready for further challenge are extended through targeted questioning and “Diving Deeper” tasks. These questions encourage higher-order thinking, independence, explanation and reasoning, helping children to deepen their understanding.

Each lesson begins with a focus on number fluency, including number facts and calculations, to strengthen mental maths skills that children can apply across all areas of mathematics. Key questions such as “How do you know?” and “What do you notice?” are used to develop mathematical thinking.

Children are encouraged to answer in full sentences using stem sentences such as “I know… because…”. This supports clear understanding, shared mathematical language and meaningful discussions between peers.

Click here for our maths skills progression

We use White Rose Maths to support our planning. There are resources available for parents/carers to use at home too. Please click here for resources. 

Times Tables 

The times tables are the basics of maths. If you know the basics, you’ll find the rest much easier.

The National Curriculum states that by the end of Year 4 every child must know their multiplication and division facts up to 12.

Year 2 – 2s, 5s and 10s

Year 3 – 3s, 4s and 8s

Year 4 – All tables up to 12 x 12

When it comes to times tables, speed AND accuracy are important – the more facts you remember, the easier it is to do harder calculations. 

The Department of Education require schools in England to administer an online Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) with Year 4 pupils as statutory assessment.

KIRF (Key Instant Recall of Facts)

KIRF have been designed to support the development of the mental skills that underpin much of the maths work in schools. This is part of a national drive to improve mental maths. Every half term, each year group will have a focus and by the end of each half term, children should know those facts. The aim is for them to recall these facts instantly. It is expected that the children will learn and practise these in school AND at home. See the attachments at the bottom of this page for all the KIRFs for each year group each term. 

Click the picture to see our KIRF overview for the year: 

Below you will find a document for each half term with what the KIRF looks like, some examples of the type of questions and vocabulary expected and resources you can use to help support you children in learning that KIRF. Some children may not be yet secure with the previous year's KIRF and therefore will be working on those instead, until they are ready to move on. We will send a reminder each half term.

Calculation Policy

At King Athelstan we recognise that children need a range of calculation strategies which are efficient, accurate and reliable. Our calculation policy incorporates how methods are taught through the use of concrete resources, pictorial representations and then abstract, to enable children to calculate confidently. Some of these methods will look different to the methods you were taught as a child. Please feel free to come in and ask questions about the methods we are using. The policies are attached below. 

Click here to see our: 

Calculation policy for addition

Calculation policy for subtraction

Calculation policy for multiplication

Calculation policy for division

Interventions

At King Athelstan we monitor the children's progress carefully and organise interventions for those children finding the subject challenging and/or have a daily catch up session about the lesson that has taken place.

How Parents and Carers can help

Every parent and carer can do their bit to help inspire their children to be successful in maths:

• Help them practise their times tables and KIRF targets (Click here to see the overview) Remember little and often is best!
• Come to information evenings to pick up tips and have some fun.  See 'Supporting Your Child at Home' information sheets for games and ideas.
• Show your child that you like the subject. (Please refrain from admitting that you hated maths or telling your children that you are no good at it - it permissions them to feel the same and we don't want that!)      

Click here for half termly KIRF for each year group: 

Autumn 1         Autumn 2          Spring 1         Spring 2        Summer 1        Summer 2

Times Table Rockstars

Click the image to access TT Rockstars: 

We use TimesTables RockStars which is fun and challenging way to practise tables independently and against your peers and other schools.  Year 2 to 6 have their own logins.

Click here to find details of how to log in. 

Numbots

Click the picture to access Numbots: 

NumBots is an online resource where children can practise their number recognition, number bonds, addition and subtraction skills, so that these become fluent and they can leave their fingers behind.

Click here to find details of how to log in. 

Both NumBots and TTRS use the same login details.                                     

j2e

Click the image to access j2e: 

Then click the red 'LGFL' button, then the next red button 'Normal USO login', and enter your child's details.  

j2e is a collection of online educational tools specifically designed to engage, motivate and inspire. j2e is an online, fun, creative environment. Play j2blast supports children’s fluency with their arithmetic and times tables.  Enjoy using any of the other toolkits too. Nursery to Year 6 will have logons for this.

Please come and speak to your class teacher if you are having any difficulty accessing your account.

Click here to see:

• How to log in and access j2e
• Our slides from our parent/carer workshop

Another fun website to where you can practise your maths skills is Busy Things: