Maths

Maths at Beaucroft School

Our Vision is for all students to be able to have the opportunity to succeed. In particular using Mathematics to support them in their everyday life, both now and in the future.

Our Vision is for every student to leave Beaucroft with a qualification in Mathematics. Appropriate students will achieve Personal Progress, through ASDAN, while others achieve Functional Skills from Entry 1 to Level 2 depending on their ability. This is to celebrate their success whilst informing others within a meaningful accreditation framework.

The Curriculum will be based around needs, skills and in some aspects age and will be reflective on the type of Learning Model that a student will be accessing. The various curriculums up to and including Key Stage 3 will be; The Early Years Foundation Stage, Pre- Number Skills, Pre-Key Stage 1 Standards and the National Curriculum. This will be further enhanced by an emphasis on real life, practical scenarios and Problem Solving. Maths will be seen in fewer subject specific lessons and increasingly in all aspects of a student’s life in Beaucroft from Dance/Drama and PE to Sensory play and learning to learn. This cross-curricular approach is a vital step in concreting students understanding the links of the world around them. Post 16 students will follow the Adult Core curriculum.

Our Vision is for all students to be assessed in a realistic and functional way. This is achieved through Connecting Steps, Individualised targets and on their personalised Learning Journeys that are linked to their EHCP. This assessment will help inform teachers, parents and students of not only where students are but on what steps to take next and for the future.

All students learn in different ways, so the skilled teacher at Beaucroft will teach and support students particularly using individualised programmes that centre on their needs, including Preparation for Adulthood. The use of interpersonal skills will be key, as communication not only feeds back student’s achievements and strengths but also helps inform the teacher in areas that need developing or misconceptions. Communication also enables the teacher to develop their own teaching style to suit the individual.

Students will be engaged through these approaches. This engagement will result in them working on their own, pairs and groups with an emphasis on developing their practical skills. Ever changing technology features heavily in the lives of modern students.  Our students will have the opportunity to access these powerful resources, and to use technology in supporting their understanding and communicate their mathematics.

Our Mathematics Vision is to achieve this using a spectrum of strategies that include multimedia, visual and practical tools not only in a specific Mathematics lesson but across the curriculum.

Numeracy Curriculum Overview

INTENT

Within the 5 areas of learning that are categorised through the EHCP our intention is to build a holistic overview of each individuals needs. The intention is then to build a curriculum around each individual.

These 5 areas are:

  • Communication
  • Cognition and Learning
  • Social and Emotional
  • Independence
  • Physical and sensory

Numeracy appears most prevalently in the area of ‘Cognition and Learning’ and ‘Independence’, though runs as a thread through almost all learning experiences in the 5 areas.

Through a diverse range of opportunities, each pupil will receive an enriching and challenging Numeracy curriculum to meet their needs and extend them toward the next area of their development, area of education, and into adulthood. These are adapted to reflect the EHCP outcomes, age, learning style and for each individuals needs.

The Numeracy program will contain teaching opportunities for real life maths, enabling them to see the relevance of Numeracy within school, their home and the wider community with a desire to engage and extend themselves with the support they need.

Our intention is that the Numeracy doesn’t just finish once our students leave the front gates. Parents need support and reassurance in their own skills to support their son/daughter’s Numeracy and we are providing opportunities to engage with this important group.

We recognise that with a changing cohort, a whole school approach to Numeracy is not appropriate, and have prioritised developing strategies that ensure our complex learners needs are met in a variety of learning opportunities, stated in our Numeracy Policy.

IMPLEMENTATION

From Early years to Post 16, each individual will follow a different curriculum model (pre-formal, semi-formal, formal or nurture) which allows staff to deliver programmes of study that are informed by the pupils learning need.

We continue to be resolute in providing functional numeracy skills, including accreditation at KS4/5. We promote the use of maths so that the students can access the wider community. Being able to use map skills, bus passes, libraries, vending machines, cafes and leisure centres all need mathematical skills and the joy and mental wellbeing this provides means these are important skills to be implemented. This hands-on real-life maths is a key element of Beaucroft teaching. We also encourage utilising a combination of teaching approaches that include ICT, sensory activities, hands on activities aimed at concreting individual’s maths skills as well as the abstract more formal methods to develop a rounded approach to the students learning at an appropriate level.

The broad scope of Numeracy, (number, counting, time, sequencing, patterns, sizes, money) means that at many points in the school day numeracy plays a part.  The Numeracy Curriculum’s implementation is individualised at all points, from those supported in small garden environment to those able to work in a formal curriculum setting. This is paramount during all stages of the school and essential in ensuring individuals are best prepared for adulthood.

IMPACT

Evidence based data gathering show pupils are achieving the best possible outcomes and can use their Numeracy at a level appropriate to their development, be that needing Physical support, verbal support, pictorial support or completely independently.

They are prepared for the next stage of their development, education, employment, or training, with an accredited qualification in Functional skills, Open awards or Personal Progress and build on prior learning with a positive attitude and motivation. They are supported in preparation for adulthood and life beyond Beaucroft.