Our Curriculum | English | Mathematics |
Science | PSHE | Music | PE | Art | RE | MFL | D&T | Geography | History | Computing | Extra-Curricular |
Science | PSHE | Music | PE | Art | RE | MFL | D&T | Geography | History | Computing | Extra-Curricular |
MATHEMATICS
We believe that every child at Dulwich Hamlet has the potential to be a mathematician who can:
Reasoning and fluency are the foundations for effective problem solving.
Mastery
As a school we follow the national curriculum, which is designed to build breadth and depth of understanding rather than accelerating children onto curriculum objectives from later year groups. We have created a carefully sequenced and bespoke curriculum based on the NCETM Mastery Professional Development documents and the White Rose Maths Hub Schemes of Learning.
We aim to challenge all learners in the classroom so they develop ‘mastery’ of each concept. Take the example of 8 x 7 = 56. Your child may be able to solve or even know off by heart that answer to this calculation. However, ‘mastery’ would involve:
As a school we follow the national curriculum, which is designed to build breadth and depth of understanding rather than accelerating children onto curriculum objectives from later year groups. We have created a carefully sequenced and bespoke curriculum based on the NCETM Mastery Professional Development documents and the White Rose Maths Hub Schemes of Learning.
We aim to challenge all learners in the classroom so they develop ‘mastery’ of each concept. Take the example of 8 x 7 = 56. Your child may be able to solve or even know off by heart that answer to this calculation. However, ‘mastery’ would involve:
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1. Describing it in his or her own words
e.g. “8 lots of 7 are 56” “8 added 7 times gives 56” 2. Representing it in a variety of ways. 3. Explaining it to someone else 4. Making up his or her own examples (and non-examples) of it 5. Seeing connections between it and other facts or ideas e.g. 56 ÷ 8 = 7 and 56 ÷ 8 = 7 6. Recognising it in new situations and contexts e.g. “If I have 8 baskets of 7 apples, I have 56 apples altogether” 7. Making use of it in various ways, including in new situations. Adapted from a list in ‘How Children Fail’, John Holt, 1964. We wish as many children as possible to feel confident and competent mathematicians who will be able to:
• solve problems of greater complexity (i.e. where the approach is not immediately obvious), demonstrating creativity and imagination; • independently explore and investigate mathematical contexts and structures, communicate results clearly and systematically explain and generalise the mathematics From ‘Teaching for Mastery. Questions, tasks and activities to support assessment’, Mike Askew, Sarah Bishop, Clare Christie, Sarah Eaton, Pete Griffin and Debbie Morgan (2015) Oxford University Press. |
Figure 1 An array showing 8 x 7 = 56
Figure 2 A variety of representations of 8 x 7 = 56
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Knowledge, Fluency and Overlearning
Overlearning refers to the continued practice on a task after some criterion of mastery on that task has been achieved. A pianist, for example, might continue to practice a piece despite already being able to perform it. (Soderstrom & Bjork, 2013)
As adults we underestimate the importance of overlearning; children should practise these facts regularly – we are aiming for them to find it impossible to get it wrong. Too often we allow children to stop practising as soon as they have been successful.
Year 3
At the start of year 3 we would expect children to know all their addition and number bond facts to 10.
Overlearning refers to the continued practice on a task after some criterion of mastery on that task has been achieved. A pianist, for example, might continue to practice a piece despite already being able to perform it. (Soderstrom & Bjork, 2013)
As adults we underestimate the importance of overlearning; children should practise these facts regularly – we are aiming for them to find it impossible to get it wrong. Too often we allow children to stop practising as soon as they have been successful.
Year 3
At the start of year 3 we would expect children to know all their addition and number bond facts to 10.
Year 4
By the end of Year 4 we would expect children to have learnt their times tables up to 12 x 12 with rapid recall.
By the end of Year 4 we would expect children to have learnt their times tables up to 12 x 12 with rapid recall.
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If your child struggles with times tables they may find Doodle Tables as a useful tool for developing conceptual understanding.
Download the latest Android or Apple app for the best experience. It can even be downloaded to a phone for ease of access. |
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Once times tables are learnt and understood, children will benefit from using Times Tables Rock Stars to improve their recall speed. |
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Calculations
Please see the links below for details of how we teach the four main written calculations
Calculation guide - Addition | Calculation guide - Division | Calculation guide - Multiplication | Calculation guide - Subtraction|
Please see the links below for details of how we teach the four main written calculations
Calculation guide - Addition | Calculation guide - Division | Calculation guide - Multiplication | Calculation guide - Subtraction|
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Our series of calculation videos are available to view via our Youtube channel. The videos explain the Concrete Pictorial Abstract method which we follow, allowing children to develop a deep conceptual understanding of the written algorithms. Also available are our printable calculation guides. Please do let us have any feedback & feel free to share.
Homework
The evidence base for homework is a complicated one. If you are interested, you can read the Education Endowment Foundation summary here. As a school we are clear in our purposes for homework.
1. To assist with ‘overlearning’ of key facts and procedures.
2. In Year 6 only, to help children develop good working habits as they prepare for transition to secondary school.
The evidence base for homework is a complicated one. If you are interested, you can read the Education Endowment Foundation summary here. As a school we are clear in our purposes for homework.
1. To assist with ‘overlearning’ of key facts and procedures.
2. In Year 6 only, to help children develop good working habits as they prepare for transition to secondary school.
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Doodle Maths provides opportunities for children to regularly practise procedures learnt in class, keeping the content current and ensuring their learning ‘sticks’. |
Maths beyond our school
Our Assistant Headteacher, Mr Salomonson, is an NCETM Maths Mastery Specialist for the London South East Maths Hub and runs a Teacher Research Group, supporting local schools with the development of their maths curricula.
Our Maths Subject Leader is Miss Thornton Smith.
Our Maths Subject Leader is Miss Thornton Smith.