Maths
At Crosslee Community Primary School, we are fully committed to a Teaching for Mastery approach in Mathematics. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that every child develops deep, secure and adaptable mathematical understanding that they can apply with confidence throughout their lives. This approach is firmly aligned with the DfE’s Strong Foundations guidance, which emphasises high‑quality teaching, coherent curriculum sequencing, and the central role of early number and language in building long‑term mathematical success.
Our Maths curriculum is fundamentally built on the Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) approach. This evidence‑based model supports children in developing conceptual understanding through hands‑on exploration, visual representation and abstract reasoning. Lessons combine child‑led investigation with high‑quality teacher instruction, enabling learners to move through carefully sequenced, coherent steps that lead them to meet—and often exceed—age‑related expectations.
We achieve this through the use of the Maths No Problem (MNP) scheme of learning, alongside ongoing professional development that strengthens teachers’ pedagogical subject knowledge and ensures consistency across the school. In Early years, we use mastering number and White Rose Maths as well as ensuring meaningful interactions In the continuous provision.
Fluent Foundations: Mastering Number and Times Tables
To strengthen early number fluency and ensure children develop secure number sense from the very beginning of their mathematical journey, we deliver:
Mastering Number (Reception to Year 3)
This programme provides daily, structured number‑fluency sessions that build children’s confidence with number relationships, subitising, addition and subtraction facts, and mental strategies. It supports the Strong Foundations principle that early number knowledge must be robust, flexible and deeply understood before children move into more complex content.
Mastering Number complements our MNP curriculum by ensuring children have the automaticity and fluency required to access reasoning and problem‑solving with confidence.
Number Sense (Years 4 to 6)
From Year 4 onwards, children continue to develop fluency through the Number Sense programme, which provides systematic teaching of multiplication and division facts. This supports children in securing times‑tables knowledge, developing efficient strategies and building the automaticity needed for upper‑KS2 content and the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check.
Together, Mastering Number and Number Sense ensure that all children develop strong, fluent foundations that underpin success across the whole maths curriculum.
Daily Lesson Structure: Fluent Foundations and Cognitive Science
Every morning from Year 1 to Year 6 begins with Fluent in Five. This daily arithmetic practice builds number fluency, confidence and automaticity. It also strengthens retrieval pathways by revisiting previously taught methods and skills, supporting children to retain and apply knowledge over time.
Teachers explicitly connect new learning to prior knowledge. This supports:
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schema building
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encoding into long‑term memory
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the management of intrinsic cognitive load (Sweller, 1998)
This approach ensures that children are not simply taught procedures but develop a deep, connected understanding of mathematical ideas.
Maths No Problem: A Coherent, Research‑Informed Curriculum
In Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, we follow the Maths No Problem (MNP) scheme of learning. The MNP Primary Maths Series is grounded in the internationally recognised research of theorists such as Piaget, Dienes, Bruner, Skemp and Vygotsky, and has been refined over 30 years in Singapore. It is fully aligned with the National Curriculum and is one of only two textbook series approved by the Department for Education.
Each lesson follows a consistent five‑part structure:
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In Focus Task – collaborative problem‑solving to spark curiosity
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Journaling – teacher‑led or child‑led mathematical thinking
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Let’s Learn – explicit teacher instruction and modelling
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Guided Practice – paired work with scaffolding
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Workbook – independent practice to secure understanding
This structure ensures that all children experience a rich blend of reasoning, fluency and problem‑solving.
Inclusion and Strong Foundations
At Crosslee, we are committed to developing all children as independent, confident mathematicians. High‑quality teaching is the first step in responding to the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.
The MNP scheme includes a SEND Inclusion Jigsaw, which conceptualises lessons as a set of interconnected components. If any piece is missing—such as vocabulary, manipulatives, modelling or guided practice—the learning experience becomes incomplete. This supports teachers in planning and adapting lessons to ensure that every child can access the curriculum.
The Strong Foundations guidance reinforces this by highlighting:
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the importance of early number fluency
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the role of precise mathematical language
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the need for well‑sequenced curriculum design
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the value of responsive, knowledgeable adults
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the impact of high‑quality representations and manipulatives
These principles are embedded throughout our provision, from Early Years to Year 6.
Mathematics for Life
We recognise that mathematical understanding is essential for everyday life and for success in the workplace. Every child has the right to develop their full potential and become a confident, numerate adult. Our Maths curriculum ensures that children leave Crosslee with the knowledge, skills and self‑belief they need to thrive in an increasingly mathematical world.
maths curriculum impact ppt.pdf
We use Numbots and TT Rockstars to help children build quick, confident recall of key number facts. Numbots supports younger children with addition and subtraction through fun, game‑based practice, while TT Rockstars helps older pupils learn their times tables with speed and accuracy. Both programmes make maths enjoyable, boost confidence and encourage regular practice at home and in school. If your child ever needs help accessing their account, please speak to their class teacher who will be happy to assist.
