Maths at Hamstel

At Hamstel Infant school we approach early Mathematics in as practical a way as possible and children discover and deepen their Mathematical concepts through play, experimentation and the use of practical, concrete objects as the first approach. We also understand the importance of developing the Mathematical vocabulary of our children in order for them to progress and aim to develop their understanding and use of this language through modelling, explanation and encouragement of the children to use and apply it.

The school has adopted the Singapore approach for teaching and learning, where children learn through a progression of concrete, pictorial and abstract (formal recoding) methods. Children develop deeper learning and concepts and are encouraged to use problem solving approaches. Careful questioning and encouragement to explore a range of strategies is a consistent approach within the school.

In addition we teach and practice a progressive range of oral/ mental skills to enable fluency and confidence with numbers and calculation. This starts in Nursery and Reception and moves onto to daily mental maths sessions in Key Stage 1. Children work through a programme of study to become fluent in a range of elements including number bonds and times tables using a reward based practice format and this is shared with parents/ carers who are encouraged to help support their child’s learning.

In addition the school has developed daily Maths meetings which offer an opportunity for the children to embed and gain mastery of a range of Mathematical aspects such as place value, time, measure, etc.