Maths
At Ridgeway Farm CE Academy, we believe that mathematics is a God-given language that reveals order, pattern and structure in His creation. We believe every child can become a confident, capable mathematician and that mathematical understanding is essential for life, learning and service.
Rooted in our Christian vision, our mathematics curriculum is designed to nurture resilience, confidence and self-belief, enabling children to believe in themselves and their God-given potential. We believe that learning mathematics develops perseverance, courage, discipline and integrity, and supports children to grow as critical thinkers and problem-solvers.
We believe that:
- All children can achieve and succeed in mathematics
- Mathematical learning should be inclusive, ambitious and accessible
- Children should experience success, joy and curiosity in mathematics
- Learning should nurture resilience, perseverance and courage
- Mathematical understanding should support children’s future lives
- Mathematics should be meaningful, connected and relevant
- Children should develop a love of learning and a fascination with number, pattern and problem-solving
Our vision is to develop children who leave primary education believing they can be successful mathematicians, confident in their abilities, willing to take risks, explore ideas and persevere through challenge.
Learn
Our mathematics curriculum is built on the principles of Teaching for Mastery, supported by high-quality, carefully sequenced resources including those from Oak National Academy. We use the CPA (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract) approach to help children build deep, connected understanding and make meaningful links in their learning.
Children are introduced to new concepts in small, coherent steps, using concrete resources and pictorial representations before moving to abstract reasoning. We place great emphasis on mathematical language and questioning, enabling children to articulate their thinking with clarity and precision.
We aim for all children to:
- Recall key number facts with speed and accuracy.
- Apply mathematical skills confidently in problem-solving contexts.
- Reason and explain mathematical concepts and procedures.
- Express ideas using the language of mathematics.
- Apply their learning across the curriculum.
Our curriculum is designed around the Five Big Ideas of Mastery:
- Coherence – Small, connected steps build secure understanding.
- Representation and Structure – Visual models expose mathematical structure.
- Mathematical Thinking – Children explore, question and reason.
- Fluency – Regular practice ensures confident recall and application.
- Variation – Carefully chosen examples promote flexible thinking.
In practice, this means:
- A daily mathematics lesson is taught in Year 1 – Year 6
- In EYFS, mathematics learning happens daily through teacher input, directed tasks and child-initiated play
- Mathematics is embedded in routines and across all areas of learning
- A consistent calculation policy ensures progression and coherence
- High-quality teaching delivers appropriately challenging learning for all
- Classrooms are equipped with rich concrete resources including Numicon, Base10 and counters
- Lesson starters revisit prior learning to strengthen retention
- Pre-teaching, catch-up sessions and targeted interventions (e.g. Plus 1, Power of 2) address misconceptions early
- Continuous formative assessment informs teaching and planning
- Cold and hot tasks monitor progress within each unit
- Summative assessments (NFER/SATs) support tracking and provision planning
- Times Tables Rockstars and Numbots develop fluency and recall
- Mathematical skills are applied across the curriculum in meaningful contexts
Our approach ensures that:
- Most pupils move through the curriculum at a similar pace
- Progression is based on secure understanding, not speed
- Rapid graspers are challenged through depth, not acceleration
- All children are supported to consolidate learning before moving on
Grow
Through this curriculum, children grow into confident, resilient and reflective mathematicians who:
- Enjoy mathematics and approach it with curiosity and joy
- Believe in themselves as learners
- Persevere through challenge and difficulty
- Think critically and solve problems creatively
- Communicate their thinking clearly and confidently
- Apply mathematical understanding in real-life contexts
- Transfer skills across the wider curriculum
- Develop strong foundations for future learning and life
- Use numeracy to navigate the world wisely and responsibly
Children leave Ridgeway Farm CE Academy not only mathematically fluent, but formed in character, confidence and courage, equipped to serve others, contribute to society and live with purpose and hope — believing that they can succeed, not only in mathematics, but in life.