New Maths Scheme

September 14, 2020

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Dear Parents,

This year at Walton le Dalewe have adopted a maths scheme called PowerMaths to support and enhance our teaching of maths.  

What is Power Maths?

Power Mathsis a resource that has been designed for UK schools based on research andextensive experience of teaching and learning around the world and here in theUK. It has been designed to support and challenge all pupils, and is built onthe belief that EVERYONE can learn maths successfully.

How does this support our approach to teaching?

The philosophy behind Power Maths is that being successful inmaths is not just about rote-learning procedures and methods, but is instead aboutproblem solving, thinking and discussing. PowerMaths includes practice questions to help children develop fluent recalland develop their conceptual understanding. It uses growth mindset characters to prompt, encourage andquestion children. They spark curiosity, engage reasoning, secure understandingand deepen learning for all.  

How will the lessons work?

Each lesson has a progression,with a central flow that draws the main learning into focus. There are differentelements, informed by research into best practice in maths teaching, that bringthe lessons to life:

·      Discover –each lesson begins with a problem to solve, often a real-life example,sometimes a puzzle or a game. These are engaging and fun, and designed to getall children thinking.

·      Share – theclass shares their ideas and compares different ways to solve the problem,explaining their reasoning with hands-on resources and drawings to make theirideas clear. Children are able to develop their understanding of the conceptwith input from the teacher.

·      Think together– the next part of the lesson is a journey through the concept, digging deeperand deeper so that each child builds on secure foundations while beingchallenged to apply their understanding in different ways and with increasingindependence.

·      Practice –now children practice individually or in small groups, rehearsing anddeveloping their skills to build fluency, understanding of the concept andconfidence.

·      Reflect –finally, children are prompted to reflect on and record their learning fromeach session and show how they have grasped the concept explored in the lesson.

What if my child needs a confidence boost, or wants to be challenged further?

Power Mathsis based on a ‘small-steps’ approach, sometimes called a mastery approach. Thismeans that the concepts are broken down so that your child can master one ideawithout feeling over-whelmed. There are a range of fluency, reasoning andproblem solving questions in each lesson that are designed to support thedifferent needs and confidence levels within a class, while at the same timefostering a spirit of working and learning together. Each lesson includes achallenge question for those children who can delve deeper into a concept.

Please let us know how yourchildren engage with Power Maths. Weare looking forward to this adventure!

Best wishes,

Mrs Jenna Parkington

Mathematics Leader