Maths – Nonsuch Primary School – Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust

Intent

Our mathematics curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils develop a deep, long-term, secure, and adaptable understanding of the subject. We aim for every child to leave Year 6 with a positive attitude towards mathematics and the confidence, fluency, and reasoning skills necessary for success at Key Stage 3 and beyond.

The curriculum is ambitious for all learners, ensuring that every child — regardless of background or starting point — can access and achieve high standards in mathematics. We prioritise the development of conceptual understanding alongside procedural fluency, supporting pupils to make connections across mathematical ideas and apply their learning in a range of contexts. Pupils are encouraged to be resilient, take risks, and embrace challenge as part of their learning journey.

Implementation

We deliver the National Curriculum through the use of the Ark Mastery Maths framework, which provides a carefully sequenced and coherent progression of knowledge and skills across all year groups. Teachers skillfully adapt the scheme to meet the specific needs of their pupils, ensuring that teaching is responsive and inclusive.

Learning is structured into small, manageable steps to enable secure understanding and minimise cognitive overload. Key concepts are revisited regularly through retrieval practice, ensuring that knowledge is transferred to pupils’ long-term memory. Lessons provide frequent opportunities for pupils to reason mathematically, explain their thinking, and solve problems in varied and meaningful contexts.

Formative assessment is used effectively to identify gaps in understanding and inform teaching. Misconceptions are addressed promptly, and targeted support is provided to ensure that all pupils keep up rather than catch up.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils demonstrate mathematical fluency, confidence and curiosity. They are able to recall and apply knowledge accurately, reason with increasing sophistication and solve problems efficiently. Assessment and monitoring show that pupils make strong progress from their individual starting points and are well prepared for the demands of Key Stage 3.

Pupils leave our school with a secure foundation in mathematics, a positive mindset towards learning, and the resilience to tackle new challenges with confidence and independence.