Maths

Primary Mathematics Overview

At Academy 360, we are dedicated to developing confident, resilient and tenacious mathematicians who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to access and understand the world around them. Our primary goal is to foster an environment where children are able to make authentic connections between the mathematics they learn in the classroom and its real-world applications.

Intent

Our intent is to provide an ambitious, coherently sequenced curriculum that ensures a smooth and effective transition for all pupils from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Year 6. We aim to integrate core mathematical learning with the promotion of fundamental British Values — democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs — preparing pupils to be active, responsible citizens.

We aim to:

• Cultivate a deep, secure and connected understanding of mathematical concepts
• Equip pupils with the fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills they need to thrive
• Instil a growth mindset where challenges are embraced and mistakes are seen as learning opportunities
• Ensure every child leaves primary school with a solid mathematical foundation that prepares them for secondary education and beyond

Implementation

We implement a consistent approach to teaching and learning mathematics across all year groups, utilising research-based strategies to secure deep understanding:

Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) Model: We embed the CPA model in all lessons, providing children with tangible experiences using manipulatives (concrete), transitioning to visual representations (pictorial), and finally moving to abstract symbols and standard algorithms. This mastery approach ensures a robust understanding of underlying concepts before moving on to abstract methods.

Consistency and Progression: Our curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced to build upon prior learning year-on-year, ensuring clear progression and a shared language and set of strategies used by all staff.

Mathematical Talk and Oracy: We prioritizs the development of mathematical vocabulary and oracy. We leverage the Skills Builder Partnership universal framework to enhance communication skills and incorporate strategies from Voice 21 to develop confident mathematical talkers who can articulate their reasoning clearly.

Our PedTech strategy uses iPads and digital platforms to enhance access to learning. Technology is used thoughtfully to provide interactive experiences, immediate feedback and tailored practice, helping to secure and deepen understanding for all pupils.

• Educake is used to set curriculum-aligned homework that reinforces classroom learning and provides instant feedback.
• Times Table Rock Stars supports the rapid recall of multiplication and division facts, strengthening fluency across the curriculum.
• Learning by Questions is used within lessons to provide real-time assessment, enabling teachers to quickly identify misconceptions and adapt teaching accordingly.

How We Support Children with SEND in Mathematics

Our commitment to inclusion ensures that all children, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), access the same ambitious curriculum and core learning objectives as their peers; we provide access, not alternative content.

While the learning destination is consistent for everyone, the journey is highly personalised. Support is carefully tailored to individual needs through targeted scaffolding, adult assistance and the strategic use of manipulatives and technology to bridge gaps and remove barriers. We prioritise the early identification of needs and deploy immediate interventions. Teachers also use adaptive teaching methods within the classroom to adjust support or challenge in real time, ensuring every child can succeed and thrive in mathematics.

How We Support Disadvantaged Pupils in Mathematics

We ensure disadvantaged pupils are supported to achieve highly in mathematics through a range of carefully considered strategies.

• Early Identification: Progress is monitored closely to identify gaps early and provide timely intervention
• Targeted Support: Additional adult support, scaffolding and manipulatives are used to remove barriers
• Technology Access: iPads and digital tools provide personalised practice and feedback
• Adaptive Teaching: Teachers dynamically adjust support and challenge during lessons to meet individual needs
• Cultural Capital: Real-world contexts and enrichment activities ensure pupils see the relevance of mathematics in everyday life
• Positive Relationships: We build trust and confidence, ensuring pupils feel valued and capable

How Mathematics Relates to Skills Builder

Our maths curriculum naturally develops the Skills Builder skills by embedding them in learning activities:

By integrating these skills, pupils not only become confident mathematicians but also develop the abilities needed to succeed across subjects and in everyday life.

• Listening & Speaking: Articulating reasoning and listening to peers.
• Problem Solving & Creativity: Exploring solutions in real-world contexts.
• Planning & Adapting: Organising thinking and adjusting strategies when needed.
• Leadership & Teamwork: Collaborative problem-solving and peer support.

Impact

The impact of our mathematics curriculum is evident in several ways:

• Pupil Outcomes: Success is measured through the attainment of age-related expectations, strong progress over time and performance in formal assessments, with all groups supported to achieve highly.
• Confident Learners: Pupils demonstrate confidence, resilience and a positive attitude towards mathematics, approaching challenges with perseverance and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
• Real-World Application: Children are able to discuss their learning using accurate mathematical language and apply their skills across a range of real-life contexts, enabling them to better understand and access the world around them and make authentic connections between mathematics and everyday life.
• Readiness for the Next Stage: Pupils transition successfully to secondary school as capable, well-rounded mathematicians with secure foundations, prepared to meet the demands of further education and equipped with the skills and confidence needed to succeed later in life. 

Please see the link below for the Primary Calculation Policy.

calculation_policy.pdf

maths_policy.docx.pdf

Curriculum intent - Mathematics

At the heart of our Mathematics curriculum is the belief that every student can achieve success in maths at Academy 360 through a coherent, connected, and carefully sequenced curriculum. We aim to develop confident, resilient mathematicians who can reason mathematically, solve problems, and appreciate the relevance of mathematics in everyday life. Ultimately, we strive to develop numerate individuals who are able to deal with all aspects of mathematics in their chosen career and adult life.

We deliver a mastery curriculum that enables students to build deep, long-term, and secure understanding of mathematical concepts. Our curriculum spirals threshold concepts throughout Years 7–11, allowing students to revisit and deepen their understanding across multiple strands, including number, algebra, ratio, geometry, statistics, and probability. 

Our curriculum is designed to provide a clear and structured progression through these strands from Year 7 through to Year 11, with each topic carefully built upon previous knowledge. This coherence allows all learners to develop fluency and confidence, and to make connections between different areas of mathematics. We continue to use the methods and representations which are first introduced in KS2 as a basis to progress from. For example, we begin year 7 developing algebraic thinking with “sequences” which builds on number sense which is embedded at KS2. The pupils can all access and succeed within this topic and it prepares them for the further development of algebraic skills which are woven throughout the rest of year 7 and beyond. 

We believe that number skills are crucial in building confidence within mathematics, so calculations are present in all topics and the majority of individual lessons. However, we also recognise that calculation skills can be a barrier to learning in some topics and using a calculator, and other technology, is important to everyday life, so we also teach students to use a calculator and this is built in throughout the curriculum from year 7 to year 11.

At Academy 360, all students, regardless of need or starting point, have access to the full breadth of our ambitious curriculum, particularly at Key Stage 3. We do not cap potential or place ceilings on what any student can achieve. Instead of differentiating by outcome, our teachers use expertly planned scaffolding strategies to ensure that every learner can engage meaningfully with challenging content and to develop the knowledge and skills needed to thrive.

Our curriculum is designed to be inclusive and aspirational for all, with high expectations and appropriate support in place so that every pupil can succeed. Scaffolding is adapted based on pupils' needs, but the curriculum entitlement remains consistent for all, mirroring our belief in equity and high ambition. At Key Stage 4, we continue to uphold these principles. While we do consider individual pathways to ensure the best possible outcomes, we aim to keep the core curriculum experience consistent for as long as possible before making any tailored adjustments. This ensures that all students are supported to achieve their full potential without premature assumptions about their long-term progress. By the end of Year 11, students will have a thorough and secure understanding of the mathematics required for GCSE success. The curriculum also lays the foundation for further study at A level and careers in STEM, equipping students with the skills to interpret and critically engage with quantitative information in the world around them.

In Maths, we contribute to our whole school intent

How does our curriculum cater for disadvantaged students and those from minority groups?

Students who are disadvantaged, including those with multiple barriers, are actively considered in curriculum planning and sequencing to ensure equitable access, targeted support, and the best possible outcomes for all.

The mathematics department has carefully considered the needs of disadvantaged pupils, including those who face multiple barriers, when designing and sequencing the curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious and coherently planned, enabling pupils to access and secure clearly defined disciplinary, substantive and foundational mathematical knowledge. Teaching makes effective use of explicit instruction, frequent retrieval practice and structured opportunities to develop basic numeracy and fluency, ensuring that new learning is embedded in longterm memory. Teachers use high-quality formative assessment to identify misconceptions and adapt teaching so that pupils catch up and keep up. Targeted support through the yellow pathway, Engage and LSC is underpinned by bespoke mathematical curricula that are well matched to pupils’ starting points, remove barriers to learning and re-engage pupils with mathematics. The often involves checking for pre-requisite knowledge and reteaching foundational knowledge before building to the learning objectives from the similar main scheme. As a result, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, make rapid and sustained progress and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Literacy Skills

Students develop strong literacy skills within maths through deliberate opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen using subject-specific vocabulary and language, enabling them to communicate and think critically with confidence.

Within Mathematics, literacy is explicitly and deliberately developed to support pupils to think, reason and communicate mathematically with precision and confidence. Students are taught to read and interpret mathematical language, symbols and representations accurately, including diagrams, equations, multi-step problems and exam-style questions. Subject-specific vocabulary is explicitly taught, modelled and routinely revisited, enabling pupils to articulate mathematical ideas clearly using appropriate terminology. Opportunities to write in mathematics are carefully planned, with pupils required to record reasoning, explain methods and justify decisions using full sentences alongside accurate notation. Structured opportunities for mathematical talk allow pupils to speak, listen and respond to others’ ideas, strengthening understanding and promoting critical thinking.

Qualifications

Students leave our academy with excellent qualifications that give them a wide range of choices and opportunities as they move into the next stage of education and adult life.

By embedding deliberate practice, retrieval, and intelligent sequencing, we enable students to retain and apply the knowledge needed to secure strong outcomes in maths qualifications. The curriculum prepares students for a wide range of post-16 pathways, including A-level Mathematics, vocational courses in engineering, computing and construction, and apprenticeships requiring numerical reasoning.

Character Development

Students develop strong character traits that will support them to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

In maths, we place reasoning and problem-solving at the core of every lesson, not just as a separate activity. Each topic includes “problem-solving tasks” that go beyond simple calculations to require strategic thinking and reasoning and uses non-routine problems to develop students’ ability to think critically and creatively.

Physical and Mental Health

Our students develop their physical and mental health, alongside their intellectual growth.

In Maths we contribute to our whole school intent as we help students develop skills such as resilience by breaking learning into achievable steps, promoting a culture of perseverance, and supporting all learners to embrace challenge, learn from mistakes, and succeed through effort.

Cultural Experiences and Opportunities

Students have access to high-quality cultural experiences and extra-curricular opportunities.

In Maths we encourage students to take part in chess club which builds on the logic and perseverance skills we use in class. Some students are also invited to work with the Royal Grammar School to extend their mathematics.

Careers Information

Students engage with high-quality careers information and guidance across all key stages.

In Maths we bring in real life problems, where applicable so students can see how the maths they learn in lesson can be applied to life outside the classroom.

British Values

Students have a highly developed understanding of the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

In our mathematics curriculum, British Values are promoted not through content alone, but through the culture of the classroom: a place where logical reasoning, fair processes, individual thinking, and mutual respect underpin every lesson.

Protected Characteristics

Students have a strong understanding and appreciation of all protected characteristics, including race, gender, religion, disability and sexual orientation.

The maths curriculum supports inclusivity by creating an environment where all students, regardless of background or identity, can access and succeed in this subject. We are explicit in our belief that maths is for everyone.

Click the link below to see our Secondary Maths Curriculum

2025-2026 Curriculum-Overview.pdfMaths-5-Year-curriculum-map-1.pdfMaths-learning-Journey.pdf