Brackenbury Primary School

At Brackenbury Primary School, we teach mathematics through a mastery approach. EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) published a guidance report in November 2017 that endorses many of the compoments of mastery with regards to improving outcomes. As a result of this and through work with experts in the local authority,  we have been on a journey to embed this approach across the school. As a result, most children are now working confidently within their year group’s curriculum .At Brackenbury, we celebrate diversity and promote inclusion in mathematics by ensuring that every child’s experiences, strengths, and perspectives are valued, and by providing opportunities for all learners to see themselves as successful mathematicians.

The mastery approach breaks learning down into small, carefully sequenced steps to ensure that no child is left behind, while also ensuring there is no ceiling on a child’s potential. All children are challenged through ‘Star Challenges’, and the lesson structure allows pupils to explore concepts at a deeper level. Teachers and teaching assistants provide live feedback throughout lessons, addressing misconceptions immediately and supporting progress.

We are committed to developing mathematical fluency and encouraging children to use reasoning to explain their thinking. From Reception to Year 6, children are expected to use concrete resources. These may range from exploring and manipulating numbers in the early years to using practical tools to solve more complex calculations higher up the school. As pupils gain confidence, they are encouraged to move from using visual and practical representations towards working in a fully abstract way.

Teachers plan lessons using the NCETM professional development spines, ensuring that knowledge and skills build progressively over time. This progression is clear and consistent across the school.

As members of both local and national school development projects, we are able to share in the latest research and practice. This provides our staff with rich professional development opportunities and keeps us actively engaged in the wider mathematics community.

Early number sense and number facts are developed through Mastering Number, a programme that strengthens early fluency in number and additive facts.

Times tables are taught and practised in Years 3–6 using Number Sense, which helps children achieve rapid recall of multiplication facts. This programme is also used to teach additive facts and fluency in Years 1 and 2.

In addition, children have access to Numbots and Times Tables Rock Stars, which they are encouraged to use to further strengthen their fluency with additive and multiplicative facts.