Here at St. John Fisher Primary, our mathematics curriculum is taught through a ‘mastery approach’ using the Mathematics Mastery Programme. It uses combined elements of concrete, pictorial and abstract in order to support deeper conceptual understanding of concepts with the aim of allowing the children to apply their skills in a variety of different contexts. By promoting a ‘can do’ culture within our school, we believe that ability can be attained over time through effort, dedication and hard work, for all. We believe this for our pupils, our staff and our parents to build resilient and successful members of our community and a positive and enjoyable attitude towards maths.

 The approach is based around three principles, known as the ‘Dimensions of Depth’:
1. Conceptual Understanding supports all pupils to deepen their understanding by representing concepts using objects and pictures, and more abstractly, with words and symbols, and making connections between these.

 2. Language and Communication supports pupils to deepen their understanding by explaining, creating problems, justifying and proving using mathematical language. This acts as a scaffold for their thinking and deepening their understanding further.

3. Mathematical Thinking supports pupils to deepen their understanding by giving an example, by sorting or comparing, or by looking for patterns and rules in the representations they are exploring problems with.

These three ‘Dimensions of Depth’ are deeply intertwined throughout the programme, with Mathematical Problem Solving at the heart of the curriculum.