Mathematician
Being a Mathematician at Filton Avenue
As mathematicians at Filton Avenue Primary School, the key aims of the National Curriculum—fluency, problem solving and reasoning—are embedded within mathematics lessons and developed consistently over time. We provide children with a wide range of mathematical opportunities, enabling them to make meaningful connections in their learning. We aim to inspire confident learners who are willing to take risks and who understand that mistakes are an important part of learning. Oracy is central to our approach, supporting the development of mathematical language and reasoning, and we are committed to nurturing independent learners with inquisitive minds.
To ensure consistency and progression across the school, we use the White Rose Maths Schemes of Learning to support teachers in their planning. The scheme is structured in small steps, allowing new concepts to be introduced in manageable stages while systematically building on pupils’ prior knowledge.
New concepts are introduced through an ‘I Do, We Do, You Do’ modelling approach. Teachers first model key concepts, then guide pupils through examples, strategies and problem-solving, before pupils move on to independent application.
We place a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ fluency in key number facts. It is essential that children become secure in addition and subtraction facts within 20 and multiplication facts up to 12 × 12, as this underpins success across the mathematics curriculum. To support this, Number Sense sessions are embedded within our curriculum from Reception to Year 3, focusing on subitising and securing addition and subtraction facts. From Year 3 to Year 6, pupils follow a consistent and systematic approach to learning times tables, ensuring rapid recall and confident application.
Consistent strategies are used across the school to give pupils opportunities to think deeply and engage in deliberate practice of key concepts and procedures before working independently. Teaching is responsive to pupils’ needs, with misconceptions addressed promptly through discussion, modelling and scaffolding. Key mathematical vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited in every lesson. Concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations are used regularly to help pupils understand the underlying structure of mathematical concepts and to support deeper learning.
A consistent calculation policy is used across the school to ensure clear progression in methods and to support pupils in developing efficient, accurate and flexible strategies. This shared approach enables pupils to build on prior learning, reduces cognitive load, and ensures that methods are applied consistently as they move through the school.
We use the following Calculation Policy to support teaching and learning in mathematics:
We also provide access to a range of online platforms to support learning both in school and at home. Login details are provided by class teachers:
Maths Page
