Overview

Our mathematics curriculum is designed to develop confident, fluent and resilient mathematicians who enjoy the subject and are well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life. It is at least as demanding as the National Curriculum and is carefully sequenced to ensure pupils secure, revisit and build upon key knowledge and skills over time.

Teaching prioritises reasoning, problem solving and purposeful practice. Through daily retrieval practice, systematic number knowledge sessions and structured arithmetic teaching from Year 3, pupils develop fluency that supports deeper mathematical thinking. Reasoning is embedded at every stage, with all pupils encouraged to explain, justify and prove their thinking using precise mathematical language. Oracy is a key vehicle for learning, enabling pupils to articulate ideas, challenge thinking and reflect on their own next steps.

Learning is deliberately structured through spaced and interleaved planning cycles that revisit content and allow mastery to develop over time. From the Early Years, children build strong foundations in number sense, counting and subsidisation through meaningful, contextualised learning. From Year 1 onwards, the Learning Journey model supports progressive development, ensuring all pupils can acquire, apply and deepen their understanding using concrete resources, models and representations.

Assessment is ongoing and purposeful, informing responsive teaching, targeted retrieval and appropriate challenge or support. Teaching groups remain flexible, and high-quality feedback supports pupils to take ownership of their learning. Reasoning and the use of concrete resources are an entitlement for all learners.

By the time pupils leave Totley Primary School, they are confident, reflective mathematicians with a positive attitude towards maths. Nearly all achieve at least the expected standard, many reach greater depth, and all groups of learners – including SEND and disadvantaged pupils – make strong progress from their starting points.

Reception

  • Counting and cardinality (to 20)
  • Subitising (to 5 and beyond)
  • Number recognition and formation (0–20)
  • Comparing quantities (more, less, equal)
  • One more / one less
  • Addition and subtraction within 10
  • Doubling and halving
  • Odd and even (to 20)
  • Shape: basic 2D and 3D shapes
  • Measures: length, height, weight, capacity (non-standard units)
  • Time: daily routines, days, months
  • Money: recognising and using coins in play
  • Positional language and patterns

Year 1

  • Place value within 100
  • Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s
  • Number bonds to 10 and 20
  • Addition and subtraction within 20
  • Introduction to multiplication (equal groups)
  • Introduction to division (sharing)
  • Fractions: halves and quarters
  • Shape: 2D and 3D shapes and properties
  • Measures: length, mass and capacity
  • Time: o’clock, half past; days and months
  • Position and direction

Year 2

  • Place value within 100
  • Number bonds to 20
  • Addition and subtraction (2-digit numbers, including across 10)
  • Multiplication and division (2, 5 and 10 times tables)
  • Fractions: halves, quarters, thirds
  • Money: pounds and pence, giving change
  • Shape: properties of 2D and 3D shapes, symmetry
  • Measures: length, mass, capacity and temperature
  • Time: five-minute intervals
  • Data handling: pictograms, tally charts and block diagrams

Year 3

  • Place value to 1,000
  • Addition and subtraction (formal column methods)
  • Multiplication and division (2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 times tables)
  • Fractions: unit and non-unit fractions, equivalence
  • Measures: length, mass, capacity and perimeter
  • Time: telling time to the minute; duration
  • Money: addition, subtraction and change
  • Shape: angles, properties of shapes
  • Data: bar charts, pictograms and tables

Year 4

  • Place value to 10,000 (including negative numbers)
  • Rounding (10, 100, 1,000)
  • Addition and subtraction (4-digit numbers)
  • Multiplication and division (formal written methods)
  • Fractions and decimals (tenths and hundredths)
  • Measures: converting units, area and perimeter
  • Time: Roman numerals, duration
  • Shape: angles, symmetry, properties of polygons
  • Data: charts, tables and line graphs

Year 5

  • Place value to 1,000,000 (including decimals)
  • Addition and subtraction (multi-step problems)
  • Multiplication and division (up to 4-digit numbers)
  • Fractions: equivalence, mixed and improper fractions
  • Decimals and percentages
  • Measures: unit conversion, volume
  • Shape: angles, area and perimeter of compound shapes
  • Position and direction (coordinates)
  • Data: timetables and line graphs
  • Proportion and scaling

Year 6

  • Place value to 10,000,000 (including decimals)
  • Four operations with large numbers and decimals
  • Fractions, decimals and percentages (including equivalence)
  • Ratio and proportion
  • Algebra (simple formulae and sequences)
  • Measures: conversions, speed, time and temperature
  • Shape: angles, area of triangles and parallelograms, circles
  • Statistics: averages and pie charts
  • Problem solving and reasoning across all domains
  • Preparation for KS3 fluency and independence