Maths
What are we aiming for?
Our maths curriculum aims to equip all children with the numeracy skills they need for everyday life and to prepare them for the next stage of their education. We want every child to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics and to approach the subject with curiosity, confidence, and resilience. We believe all children can succeed in maths and work to build positive attitudes that encourage them to enjoy learning and rise to challenges. Our curriculum provides opportunities for children to reach their full potential, make connections across mathematical concepts, and apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. We also place a strong emphasis on using accurate mathematical vocabulary and applying skills across the wider curriculum, particularly in science and design and technology. At its heart, our maths teaching seeks to foster a genuine love for the subject.
How do we achieve this?
At Forsbrook, we follow a mastery approach where all pupils move through content at the same pace, with high-quality teaching that supports a deep and secure understanding of mathematical concepts. Lessons are interactive and carefully sequenced using a small-step approach, underpinned by research and guidance from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). We use the DfE-approved Power Maths programme, which ensures that pupils develop both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding through intelligent practice, engaging visuals, and consistent use of representations.
In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, the Mastering Number programme supports early number sense, enabling all children to leave Key Stage 1 with strong mental fluency, flexible thinking, and secure recall of addition and subtraction facts. In Key Stage 2, the Mastering Number at KS2 programme is used to deepen pupils’ understanding of multiplicative relationships, helping them to build confidence and automaticity with multiplication and division facts, which underpin more complex problem-solving.
Across the school, weekly arithmetic quizzes help embed key knowledge, while immediate interventions (‘Fix-its’) ensure that gaps are quickly addressed. Challenge is woven into daily lessons and extended through initiatives such as the Primary Maths Challenge, enterprise projects, and in-school competitions.
What difference is this making for our pupils?
Our approach is enabling children to build a secure understanding of mathematical concepts and apply their learning with confidence. Pupils are becoming fluent in number facts and operations, supported by the consistent use of Mastering Number and Power Maths. In Key Stage 2, pupils are developing a deeper understanding of multiplicative relationships through Mastering Number at KS2, which enhances their ability to reason, solve problems, and approach more complex content with assurance.
They are growing in resilience and independence, and regularly applying their mathematical knowledge across subjects and in real-life contexts. Regular assessment and timely intervention mean that misconceptions are addressed early, helping all pupils to keep up rather than catch up. As a result, children at Forsbrook are becoming confident, capable mathematicians who enjoy the subject, can articulate their thinking clearly, and are well-prepared for the next stage of their education.