Marvellous Maths!

Over the last two years, the Maths curriculum at Prebendal has changed. Some years previously, a new curriculum was rolled up the school from Year 1, which placed mastery at the core of the learning and problem-solving skills. Whilst there was much to commend this programme, the materials were prescriptive and inflexible, and it became difficult to assimilate into our prep school environment. In the new curriculum, we have kept the best elements of the old: the focus on rich problem-solving, the use of manipulatives, and frequent formative testing, amongst others. We have also, however, designed a curriculum with the flexibility in content and delivery that is needed in preparing children for exams at 11+ and 13+, including scholarship assessments.

By cherry-picking the best elements of materials for primary schools, secondary schools, prep schools, and international schools, we have created a tailored Prebendal Maths curriculum that enables children to build arithmetic fluency which they can apply confidently in a range of contexts. Teachers are encouraged to be flexible and creative in their Maths teaching, whilst also ensuring progress at or above national levels. The curriculum is built on the premise of continuous improvement, starting with the best ideas and creating the necessary things to make it work.

For some years, we have subscribed to the Mathletics platform, which is used both in and out of the classroom to great effect across the school to engage students with Maths, provide data-rich feedback for teachers and allow for meaningful differentiation. After a successful trial, we are also now rolling out Times Tables Rock Stars, a platform which helps to secure the foundation of quick multiplication and division recall. Times Table practise outside of lessons is known to be invaluable; this platform allows for the ‘gamification’ of what can at times be a battle to achieve at home. We are launching the platform by entering a nationwide competition, ‘England Rocks 2021’, as part of Maths Week England (8^th-12^th November).

For details of how to access these platforms (currently available to children in Years 1-8), please contact your child’s Maths teacher.