Reading, Writing and Maths

Maths 

“The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics.” - Paul Halmos 

We grow in Maths because: 

All staff across the school understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life. The language of mathematics is international, and the basic skills are vital in order to thrive in modern-day society. Mathematics prepares children for the wider world by helping them to see patterns and enhancing their critical thinking, as well as improving their ability to problem solve effectively. In the future, these skills will enable our pupils to access a wide range of careers and support them in becoming active citizens who contribute to our local and wider community.  

In our mathematical journey, all children are given the opportunity to learn mathematics to the highest levels. Embracing the belief that "can't do it" simply means "can't do it yet" is key to fostering a growth mindset: we believe that mistakes serve as invaluable learning opportunities, shaping our understanding and growth, while the emphasis on asking questions paves the way for deeper exploration and critical thinking. Mathematics extends beyond mere calculations, encompassing creativity and the art of problem-solving, allowing us to forge connections and effectively convey our thoughts. Prioritizing depth over speed leads to a profound grasp of concepts. All in all, our maths lessons aim to cultivate learning rather than focus on performance, encouraging a positive and explorative approach to mathematics. 

We grow in Maths by: 

• becoming fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. 

• reasoning mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language. 

• solving problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions. 

At Irthlingborough Junior School, all staff also recognise the importance of and follow the Teaching for Mastery principles:  

• Mathematics teaching for mastery assumes everyone can learn and enjoy mathematics. 

• Mathematical learning behaviours are developed such that pupils focus and engage fully as learners who reason and seek to make connections. 

• Teachers continually develop their specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics, working collaboratively to refine and improve their teaching. 

• Curriculum design ensures a coherent and detailed sequence of essential content to support sustained progression over time. 

We grow in Maths when: 

1. We focus on fluency 

• Pupils have a dedicated daily fluency lesson: a pacey lesson where children are expected to complete questions with increasing speed and accuracy. 

• The length of this lesson starts at 15 minutes in Year 3 and 4 and extends to 30 minutes by Year 5 and 6. 

• Sessions are based on: 

• Developing number sense within the four operations (Mastering Number). 

• Addressing whole class gaps identified from ongoing assessments. 

• Revisiting previously taught skills and pre-teaching skills the children may need in future units of learning. 

• Answering a range of retrieval questions where children are given an average of a minute per question (Fluent in Five). 

• This work is completed in the green Fluency books, using the same standard of presentation as in their other books. The children mark their own work using blue pen and this is checked regularly by teachers with a focus on a target group of children. 

1. We take part in daily maths lessons  

• Mathematics is delivered through whole-class interactive teaching, enabling all to master the concepts necessary for the next part of the curriculum sequence. 

• In a typical lesson, the teacher leads back and forth interaction - including questioning, short tasks, explanation, demonstration, and discussion – to enable pupils to think, reason and apply their knowledge to solve problems. Teacher modelling is a key aspect of this and is necessary for children to ensure they grasp the new skills being taught. 

• It is recognised that practice is a vital part of learning, but the practice must be designed to both reinforce pupils’ procedural fluency and develop their conceptual understanding. Therefore, independent practice includes reasoning, problem solving and higher-order thinking activities. 

• These maths lessons are carefully and progressively sequenced – linking to prior learning - to ensure all children can access the lesson and are supported in building secure and accurate skills and knowledge. 

• Procedural fluency and conceptual understanding are developed in tandem within lessons because each supports the development of the other.  

• Significant time is spent developing deep understanding of the key ideas that are needed to underpin future learning. Difficult points and potential misconceptions are identified in advance and strategies to address them are planned prior to the lesson. 

• Key number facts are learnt to automaticity, and other key mathematical facts are learned deeply and practised regularly, to avoid cognitive overload in working memory and enable pupils to focus on new learning. Stem sentences (e.g. a fraction represents a part of a whole) are also provided to enable children to embed the key learning facts. 

• Examples, representations and models are carefully selected to expose the structure of mathematical concepts and emphasise connections, enabling pupils to develop a deep knowledge of mathematics. 

• During teaching, there is lots of talking in mixed ability pairs, repeating of ideas, and practising the skills being taught in different ways to ensure understanding. Teachers model and provide sentence stems (e.g. I know this because...) which allow children to talk in full sentences to express this understanding. The use of precise mathematical language enables all pupils to communicate their reasoning and thinking effectively. 

• Key questions are planned to challenge thinking and develop learning for all pupils. These questions are chosen carefully by the teacher and link to the task that the children are completing to ensure the children have a depth of knowledge about the new learning.  

• High-quality materials (Power Maths and NCETM Curriculum Prioritisation materials) and tasks (White Rose, NRICH, NCETM Mastery Assessment materials etc.) are integrated into the lesson to support learning. There are a range of different activities to complete so the children can see and apply the new learning in different ways. 

• Formative assessment is carried out throughout the lesson; the teacher regularly checks pupils’ knowledge and understanding and adjusts the lesson accordingly. If a pupil fails to grasp a concept or procedure, this is identified quickly, and gaps in understanding are addressed systematically to prevent them falling behind. This also leads to flexible seating to ensure all children are getting the support they need from the adults in the room.  

• Where appropriate, going deeper activities will be identified throughout the lesson on a range of different tasks so that, if children grasp a concept quickly, they have another activity to do linked to the same new learning in the lesson.  

1. We become Times Table Rock Stars 

• All classes complete Rock Star sheets at least 3 times a week. This is monitored by teachers to ensure children are focusing on the times tables relevant to them. 

• Children’s achievements with TTRS are celebrated in year groups assemblies. Certificates are given to children based on the following criteria being met: 

• Most correct answers over a term – 1st, 2nd and 3rd 

• Biggest improvement in accuracy over a term - 1st, 2nd and 3rd 

• Children use the website at home on a regular basis to improve their knowledge and recall of times tables – this is expected as part of their homework. 

• Times table grids are used to assess children at the start of every half term to see which times table they need to focus on for that term. The same assessment is used at the end of term to show progress.  

Marking  

• Children will often self-mark their work, using a blue pen, so that they are able to reflect on their mistakes and edit their work. This is closely monitored by teachers: every child’s book is teacher marked at least once a week, while target children’s books are marked daily. 

• Teachers use green highlighters to indicate that questions are answered correctly and pink highlighter if they feel that the children are able to edit the mistakes on their own. Children are given time to look back at these pink marks and edit them. 

• After marking, teachers group the books to ensure children who need more support the next day are identified.  

Reading 

‘Reading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible.’ - Barack Obama.  

We grow in Reading because:  

Reading is a fundamental skill that serves as the basis for acquiring knowledge. It is a gateway to accessing learning in all other subjects and acquiring new information within and beyond the classroom. At our school, we aim to expose the children we teach to a plethora of perspectives, experiences and emotions through their reading journey, and to support them in developing a life-long habit of learning and reading. We particularly value the fact that reading enables access to differing ideas, knowledge and points of view from the wide range of communities, faiths and cultures that exist in the world around us. The reading curriculum reflects and reinforces our British values by allowing students to explore these different perspectives, question their assumptions, and develop a deeper understanding of the principles that underpin a democratic and inclusive society.  

We recognise that as a school we have the responsibility to support our pupils to grow and develop as individuals through the reading curriculum, by providing a platform for exploration, self-discovery, and the acquisition of skills that are not only beneficial academically, but also essential to their personal and professional lives.  Our approach to reading ensures that pupils become well-rounded and successful learners who are able to navigate the complexities of the world beyond the classroom. Indeed, it is our vision to provide a high-quality reading education that equips our pupils with the strong reading skills necessary to understand, challenge and change that world.  

We grow in Reading by:  

• Improving word reading, fluency, and intonation.  

• Developing the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information which allows us to develop knowledge of the world around us.   

• Acquiring a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar, and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.   

• Appreciating our rich and varied literary heritage.   

• Establishing an appreciation and love of reading.  

• Using discussion in order to learn, by elaborating and clearly explaining our understanding and ideas.   

• Developing comprehension skills through our knowledge of vocabulary, fact retrieval skills and ability to infer information.   

• Being competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others, and participating in debate.   

We grow in Reading when:  

At Irthlingborough Junior School, reading is taught in a variety of different ways: both explicitly within dedicated reading lessons and more broadly across the curriculum. This ensures children are able to develop depth in their knowledge and skills as well as having continuous access to reading. Employing cross-curricular links motivates pupils and supports them to make connections across all areas of their learning. Reading is an integral part of all subjects, and therefore it is key that our children develop their competency in reading. Knowledge and skills are mapped across each topic and year group to ensure systematic progression. The implementation of the curriculum also ensures a balanced coverage of a range of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The children will have experience of a range of texts from different cultures, genres, and times in history throughout different year groups, but the vocabulary, themes and comprehension questions which are explored develop each year, thus ensuring that learning is built upon.   

To facilitate this learning and promote the joy of reading, the children have access to two different school libraries - one fiction and non-fiction - as well as class reading corners. Therefore, children are constantly surrounded by a range of reading materials which they can utilize. Additionally, all classes explore a number of class readers throughout the year, which again provides them access to a variety of genres, as well as a model of high-quality reading and discussion provided by the class teacher. Reading is a skill which is linked throughout – and essential to - the rest of the curriculum; it is seen as a continuous thread throughout their experience within our school.   

Writing 

‘Words create sentences; sentences create paragraphs; sometimes paragraphs quicken and begin to breathe’ - Stephen King  

We grow in Writing because:  

At Irthlingborough Junior School, we recognise the importance of developing confident, creative, and purposeful writers who can effectively communicate their ideas and emotions through written language.  During their time with us, we aim to provide all children with exciting and meaningful opportunities, with the intention of creating a love and enjoyment of writing.  We appreciate the value in celebrating a student’s success in writing, no matter how small, and actively encourage a sense of ownership and pride in their work. The curriculum has been planned to ensure that, by the time they leave us, they will have been immersed in a range of diverse, high-quality texts from different authors, cultures, and genres. Children will approach these texts as readers to understand different viewpoints, ask questions and challenge the world around them; they will approach them as writers to acquire a wealth of vocabulary, sentence structures and styles to use in their own writing.   

Throughout their time at our school, we ensure that pupils develop an understanding of how widely writing is used in everyday life and, therefore, how important - and useful - the skills are that they are learning. Where possible, careful links are made across the curriculum, with opportunities built in to write for real purposes and engage with the local community. Children develop their British values of mutual respect and tolerance by accessing texts which look at a wide range of communities, cultures and viewpoints from the world in which they live; through class discussions and debates, children experience individual liberty and democracy.   

We grow in Writing by:  

• Establishing an appreciation and enjoyment of writing, understanding that it is an effective way to communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas.  

• Appreciating our rich and varied literary heritage by reading, exploring, and discussing a range of engaging and diverse texts.  

• Acquiring a rich vocabulary through discussion and reading.  

• Reading with a writer’s eye, noticing the effects an author creates.  

• Developing and deepening a knowledge of grammar and linguistic conventions to write clearly, coherently, and correctly.  

• Taking ownership of work by writing with a reader’s eye, manipulating sentence structure and language depending on context, audience, and purpose.   

• Acquiring the ability to organise and plan work using the different stages of the writing process to produce extended pieces of writing: planning, drafting, editing, proofreading and publishing.  

• Using taught spelling rules and strategies to develop spelling knowledge.  

• Mastering handwriting to write legibly. 

We grow in Writing when:  

At Irthlingborough Junior School, our vision is to provide a writing curriculum which establishes high expectations and writing standards. We follow a mastery approach to writing through the delivery of the ‘Pathways to Write’ programme and focus on providing writing opportunities that are based around high-quality texts. Clear learning objectives are established in each year group which build upon prior knowledge and learning of spelling and grammar skills; these objectives ensure progression and challenge for all learners. Each unit of work is broken down into three phases:  

• Gateway sessions: children are ‘hooked’ into their new unit through a range of exciting and engaging activities. They are given the chance to build on their reading skills by asking questions about the text, making inferences and predictions, and establishing the purpose and audience of the writing. New vocabulary is explored and celebrated, and children are given the opportunity to showcase their previously acquired writing skills through an independent writing activity.   

• Pathway sessions – Children are introduced to between three and five skills that they will be practising throughout the unit. These are called ‘Mastery Keys’ and are from the year group’s national curriculum objectives. Throughout these sessions, children are given the opportunity to learn these new skills and develop them through a range of different writing opportunities. Children revisit previously taught skills through daily recap activities and, where needed, skills lessons are planned into the teaching sequence to address misconceptions and gaps in learning. Teachers use these lessons as an opportunity to model the thought process of an author and support children to challenge their own ideas to develop further.   

• Writeaway sessions – At the end of each unit, children are given the chance to apply their learning of the mastery skills to an independent piece of extended writing linked to the text they have been learning about.  Through collaborative discussions, children start by sequencing and planning their ideas before writing their first drafts. Children are taught how to edit their work effectively, looking for spelling and punctuation mistakes, and checking that their writing makes sense when read aloud. Their final piece is then published, shared, and celebrated.   

Alongside the Pathways to Write Programme, each year group starts the school year by delivering a Grammarsaurus Place Value of Punctuation and Grammar unit. This scheme of work has been designed to allow children to develop and strengthen their understanding of the foundational skills in writing (nouns, verbs and sentence construction) before moving onto applying these in different genres and text types. As they progress through their writing units, children are given the opportunity to practice these skills and apply them into their learning through daily recaps, teacher modelling, editing activities and revision sessions.

Spellings  

In addition to our writing lessons, each year group teaches spellings, four times a week, using the Spelling Shed programme. The programme is divided up into stages which cover all the statutory words and spelling patterns for KS2. It systematically builds upon acquired knowledge, particularly the phonics knowledge taught in KS1. Each week, children are introduced to a new pattern which is then practised and consolidated through a series of short, engaging activities. Children are encouraged to think more widely about their spellings by looking at the etymology of words and the way that words are broken into syllables and phonemes. Dictionary skills are practised as children discover the definition of their spelling words.  As well as in class, children are able to practise their spelling words using the Spelling Shed website at home.   

Handwriting
Handwriting is taught explicitly, at least once a week, using the Kinetic Letters scheme - a physical programme where children learn handwriting and letter formation through movement and multisensory experiences. At the start of KS2, children will consolidate letter formation through revision of previously taught letter families before moving onto joining. As they move through the school, they continue to revisit and revise previous letter joins, building on the flow and fluency of their handwriting. Children are encouraged to think about their handwriting in all areas of the curriculum and teachers ensure that it is incorporated into daily routines. Where needed, extra support is given through handwriting interventions or through the use of scaffolded resources.

Extra-Curricular opportunities  

We believe that it is important for the children to apply their writing skills to real-life contexts. Opportunities are given to write to MPs, authors, charities, local businesses, and members of the community.