Discussions with St Helen’s Primary School, our main feeder school, indicated that many children were starting in Reception with below expected levels of mathematical language and that they generally continue to perform below expected levels in maths even with targeted interventions. This is particularly true for children with English as an additional language.
Wellcomm assessments of our current children indicated a weakness in the use and understanding of comparatives, positional language and the language of size. We also found that children with English as an additional language often chose to avoid traditional maths based activities and performed below expected levels for their age or stage of development.
As a result we decided to develop our maths provision with particular regard to developing mathematical language and support the development of mathematical thinking. We wanted to integrate maths into every aspect of our provision and to incorporate mathematics into daily routines, play activities, and all areas of the curriculum. In order to do this effectively, training opportunities were provided for all staff to develop their confidence in delivering maths-based activities and to inspire the use of new resources.
