Maths Matters

Building Confident Mathematicians

At RWPS, Maths learning is always more than about finding the correct answer. We want our students to become confident and capable mathematicians who are curious, willing to take risks, and able to explain their mathematical thinking.

Across our classrooms, students are encouraged to share their thinking and show the strategies they have used to solve a problem. An important part of learning Maths is being able to explain not only what the answer is, but also how and why we arrived at it. This helps students develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts while also building fluency and confidence.

We also encourage students to try different strategies and learn from one another. Sometimes a strategy might work, and sometimes it might not. By developing a growth mindset, students learn to see mistakes not as something to avoid, but as opportunities to reflect, adjust their thinking and deepen their understanding.

Using Evidence to Guide Our Teaching

Just as we encourage students to reflect on their learning, our teachers continually reflect on what students know and what they need to learn next.

Throughout a unit of Maths, teachers gather evidence from a range of sources, including assessment tasks, students’ work samples and class observations made during lessons. This information helps us understand students’ strengths, identify areas for further development and plan appropriate next steps.

We use this evidence to inform both whole class teaching and targeted learning groups. This allows teachers to respond to students’ needs and provide additional support or challenge where it will have the greatest impact.

Connecting Maths to the Real World

Since introducing our Discovery Units in Term 3, we have been looking for authentic opportunities for students to apply their mathematical learning in meaningful contexts. Rather than seeing Maths as something that exists only during a Maths lesson, we want our students to recognise how mathematical knowledge and skills help us understand and interact with the world around us.

Throughout this term, students have had opportunities to apply their mathematical learning through our Discovery unit on Health and Wellbeing. For example, students have collected and interpreted data about healthy habits, measured and compared capacities, explored how time and duration relate to daily routines and used timelines to show change and growth. These connections give students a genuine purpose for learning Maths and allow students to see that the skills they develop in Maths are tools they can use to investigate questions, solve problems and make sense of the world.

In Term 4, we will continue to explore authentic opportunities to connect Maths learning with our Discovery focus on Sustainability, giving students further opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to meaningful real-world contexts.