Maths

Mathematics at Ickworth Park Primary School

At Ickworth Park Primary School, our Maths curriculum is designed to be ambitious, engaging and accessible for all pupils, building progressively on knowledge and skills from the Early Years to Year 6.

Our Intent

At Ickworth Park Primary School, our mathematics curriculum is designed to develop confident, capable learners who have a secure understanding of number and mathematical concepts, which pupils are able to recall and apply over time.

We aim for all pupils to:

Develop fluency in key mathematical skills
Reason mathematically and explain their thinking
Apply their knowledge to solve problems in a range of contexts

Mathematics is taught to be engaging, challenging and accessible, ensuring all pupils are supported to achieve their full potential.

Our Approach

We follow the White Rose Maths scheme to support a structured and progressive approach to teaching mathematics. Pupils are encouraged to explain and justify their thinking using mathematical language.

We enhance this by:

Using White Rose workbooks to reinforce key learning
Providing opportunities in maths books for pupils to clearly set out their thinking and record their reasoning
Using resources such as rekenreks, Numicon, and manipulatives to support understanding
Embedding daily fluency through ‘Fluent in Five’

Teaching focuses on:

Small, carefully sequenced steps in learning
The use of concrete, pictorial and abstract representations
Developing mathematical vocabulary
Encouraging pupils to explain and justify their reasoning

Each year group follows a carefully planned sequence of units to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum, supported by our long-term planning.

We work closely with the Cambridge Maths Hub, and our Mathematics Lead is a Local Leader of Mathematics Education (LLME) who also holds a PGCert in Educational Practice in Mathematics. This expertise supports the development of high-quality mathematics teaching and learning across the school.

Progression

Learning in mathematics begins in the Early Years, where children develop early number skills through practical, hands-on experiences.

In EYFS, pupils build strong foundations through counting, recognising numbers and exploring patterns
These early skills ensure pupils are well-prepared for the more formal teaching of mathematics in Key Stage 1

As pupils move through the school:

In Key Stage 1, pupils develop confidence in number and basic operations
In Key Stage 2, pupils deepen their understanding and apply their knowledge to more complex reasoning and problem-solving tasks

Learning is carefully sequenced so that pupils build knowledge over time, revisit key concepts and develop deeper understanding.

Inclusion

All pupils are supported to access the mathematics curriculum through high-quality, inclusive teaching.

Teaching is carefully adapted using scaffolding, modelling and targeted support to meet pupils’ individual needs.
Pupils may access a range of resources, including iPads, manipulatives and structured representations, alongside pre- and post-teaching strategies and precision teaching to reinforce understanding.
Teaching assistants are trained to deliver a range of effective mathematical interventions, including Number Stacks and Max’s Marvellous Maths, to provide targeted support and accelerate progress.

We ensure that pupils with SEND can access learning alongside their peers, while also providing appropriate challenge for all learners.

Enrichment and Real Experiences

We provide opportunities for pupils to apply mathematics in meaningful and engaging ways.

During STEM Week, pupils take part in whole-school events such as ‘Dress as a Number Day’
Pupils are set ‘Big Maths Questions’, encouraging them to apply mathematics to real-life Ickworth Park situations

These questions are carefully designed across the school, for example:

Younger pupils explore estimation and measurement through questions such as “How tall is our school?” and “How many people are wearing socks in our school today?”
Older pupils solve complex problems such as calculating real-life quantities, modelling financial situations, and planning and managing their own fundraising events throughout the year, applying budgeting, profit calculations, and financial decision-making skills in real contexts.

Through this, pupils learn to:

Make and test assumptions
Apply mathematical knowledge in unfamiliar contexts
Explain and justify their reasoning

We also provide opportunities for pupils to apply mathematics across the wider curriculum where appropriate.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

We support pupils to continue their learning at home through:

MyMaths
Times Tables Rock Stars
Purple Mash

Homework is carefully planned to either:

Reinforce learning from the week
Prepare pupils for upcoming learning

All pupils have access to these platforms to support independent learning.

Impact

Pupils are able to apply their learning in unfamiliar contexts and explain their reasoning clearly.

Pupils develop:

Confidence and fluency in mathematics
Automatic recall of key number facts, including times tables
The ability to reason and explain their thinking
Problem-solving skills that can be applied in a range of contexts

They leave Ickworth Park as resilient mathematicians who can approach challenges with confidence, apply their learning in unfamiliar situations, and explain their thinking clearly.

Find Out More

For further information, please see our curriculum maps, long-term plans and supporting documents on this page, or take a closer look at individual class pages.