Mathematics teaches boys how to make sense of the world around them through developing their ability to calculate reason and solve problems. It helps them to understand relationships and patterns in numbers and space within their day to day lives. At Wetherby Kensington, our maths curriculum is bold, provides breadth and balance and is relevant and differentiated to suit the needs of all of our boys in the modern world. As their knowledge and understanding grows, boys will learn to appreciate and apply mathematics to a variety of contexts.
At Wetherby Kensington we aim to:
- develop a positive attitude towards maths as an interesting and fascinating subject
- develop the ability to use and apply maths effectively across the curriculum and in real life
- promote confidence and competence with numbers and the number system at levels appropriate to individual boys
- develop the ability to apply knowledge and solve problems through decision making and reasoning in a range of contexts
- develop and apply a practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered and presented
- develop an ability to express themselves fluently, to talk about the subject using the correct mathematical language and vocabulary
- develop an ability to solve problems, to think clearly and logically with undependence of thought and flexibility of mind
- develop and understanding of maths through a process if enquiry and experiment
- explore the features of shape and space, and develop and apply measuring skills in a range of contexts
- encourage pupils to make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems
Each year group in the school has a maths lesson every day. Our maths curriculum emphasises the four operations and number bonds, as well as mental calculations and problem solving. We spend a great deal of time teaching each concept in a practical manner before transferring it into a more formal structure. We endeavour to make maths fun and very enjoyable for everyone.
We also teach reasoning from Reception and the boys are taught lateral thinking skills, which are applicable to many areas of the curriculum. We encourage the use of many different strategies to solve the problems posed in these lessons.
It is important to recognise that in order to adequately prepare boys for their respective preparatory school entrance examinations they must be able to meet the level of formality required to sit examinations. For this reason, although we have the same aims for the boys, the lower (Reception and Year 1) and upper (Year 2 and 3) schools set out to achieve these in slightly differing manners.
The lower school focuses on the development of boys through the implementation of the Reception / EYFS curriculum. In Year 1, this is adapted and the boys become more acquainted to the formalities of a more traditionally based maths syllabus while employing practically based learning opportunities throughout each term. As boys progress through the school more emphasis is placed on the formal aspects of mathematics which are a requirement for entrance examinations.
