We intend students to leave St. Andrew’s able and confident in maths. We encourage them to enjoy their maths lessons and have the skills and knowledge to solve a wide range of mathematical problems successfully.

Our maths lessons are planned and structured consistently through the school and our expectations for pupil work are also consistent. Students can concentrate and learn well in their maths lesson because there is a consistent approach to teaching, independent work, and feedback.

We focus on one piece of knowledge or skill per lesson, allowing students to fully master this before moving on. This approach significantly reduces cognitive load, enabling pupils to achieve and feel success. Feedback is given during live marking in every lesson (verbal feedback) and time is given at the beginning of the next lesson to reteach, if necessary.

It is really important that our pupils are fluent in written methods for the four operations. We know this is the best possible start for the demands of the KS3 curriculum. 

Problem solving and reasoning are built into every lesson and are very clearly and deliberately taught and modelled.

Students have access to a wide range of concrete and pictorial resources when they are at an early stage of their maths learning. 

In some year groups,students may be grouped by attainment for their maths lessons. This is not a policy, rather, we look at each year group individually and decide on the best course of action. In such year groups, a strong teacher is directed.