- Blocks (Years 7-8)
- Groups (Years 4-6)
Safety in numbers
Maths is fundamental to our world and our ability to function within it. As a community of individuals everyone has a different relationship with calculations, shape, measures and algebra. Our aim is to ensure that every student has the motivation and self-belief to enjoy learning the subject; they develop a sound understanding of our number system and are able to transfer skills to other areas of the curriculum and everyday life.
Maths is beautiful and permeates the curriculum in other classrooms. Finding the connections, patterns and applications is part of a student's Maths experience at Bedales Prep, and ultimately this leads to joy through number.
Progression through practice, problem solving and puzzles
- Encouraging confidence, enjoyment and challenge to all students in the learning of mathematics, irrespective of prior attainment.
- Developing students' ability to solve problems in a variety of contexts, building their confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems in new situations.
- Nurturing an understanding of the language and notation associated with mathematics, enabling them to think and communicate mathematically.
- Making students aware of the use of mathematics in everyday life.
The subject that counts
Our aim is to ensure that every student has the motivation and self-belief to enjoy learning the subject; they develop a sound understanding of our number system and are able to transfer skills to other areas of the curriculum and everyday life.
A basic understanding is essential, so much time is spent in Groups reinforcing and concreting concepts which can seem quite abstract. Allowing children to explore and play in a safe environment and with a range of tools allows them to build confidence gradually. A Maths classroom is full of discussion and discovery, mistakes and breakthroughs, inspiration and perspiration. Maths is a journey and we all travel on different routes and at different speeds.
Concrete, pictorial, abstract
- Using concrete objects to solve problems, bringing the Maths concepts to life by allowing the student to handle physical objects themselves.
- Seeing a mental connection between the physical object and abstract levels of understanding, by drawing or looking at pictures, circles, diagrams or models which represent the objects in the problem.
- Understanding allows the student to use abstract symbols to model and solve maths problems.
