At Merrow Schools Federation, we believe that mathematics plays an essential part in our everyday lives. Therefore it is important to not only develop a solid foundation of mathematical skills for every child, but also to foster a curiosity for the subject and the role it plays in helping us understand the world around us.

Merrow Federation pupils will make links between mathematics and its real-world applications such as science, computing and engineering. Merrow Federation will nurture the ability of every child to reason mathematically, having plenty of opportunity to discuss problems and justify answers using a range of quality mathematical language and a growing vocabulary. Additionally, the high-quality mathematics education at the Merrow Federation will develop vital skills such as financial literacy, provide opportunities to solve a range of conceptual and practical problems, and develop an appreciation for the beauty and power of mathematics.

Merrow Junior School and Merrow C of E Infant School officially became a Federation on 17th October 2022. There is consistency in the high-quality teaching and learning across both sites that fully embeds and sustains mastery in mathematics.

Intent: 

With reference to the ethos and values stated above, children receive four to five high-quality mathematics sessions per week. The following aims are embedded in the discrete teaching and learning of mathematics as well as within the wider curriculum:

• Develop and frequently use the fundamental mathematical skills of counting, cardinality (the ‘how-many-ness’ of a number symbol), subitising (recognising the number of things without counting) and the conservation of number (the number of objects in a set does not change if you rearrange the objects);
• Be able recall and apply key mathematical knowledge such as number bonds and times tables rapidly and accurately and in a range of contexts;
• Develop fluency with the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and in a range of contexts;
• Reason mathematically by understanding what a question is asking, choosing a method, working systematically, and justifying a final answer using a range of high-quality mathematical language;
• Make links between the mathematical domains (e.g. place value and fractions) and to their prior knowledge;
• Have confidence and perseverance in seeking solutions to increasingly complex problems;
• Understand that there is usually more than one way to solve a problem, including breaking it down into smaller steps;
• Have frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply their understanding in mathematics, science, computing and other academic subjects;
• Appreciate the many real-world applications of mathematics, and the rich history of the subject in creating the modern world we live in today;
• Understand how our mathematical skills play a vital role in our everyday lives