At Oak Tree,  we ensure all our pupils have access to a high quality Maths curriculum, including those with SEND. Our provision triangles ensure support at the right level for each individual.

Keeping our expectations high: teachers have the same aspirations for all students. Students are encouraged to access the same objectives as their peers and are given support by the TA/T and/or through the use of resources such as visual aids, scaffolds, prompts, vocabulary banks etc. The aim is to support the SEND pupil to be included, achieve and make progress.

No ability groups: mixed ability and flexible grouping allows for collaborative learning, peer support and extension. Children may be moved to groups according to their knowledge and skills of the area of Maths being covered. Flashbacks, key questions and AfL techniques ensure support is swift and purposeful.  We foster success in all pupils.

Communication-friendly classrooms: This benefits all our children. The Department for Education noted that speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) is now the most prevalent area of SEND, accounting for 23 per cent of needs. The language of learning can be technical, can be specific and can be completely unintelligible to a growing number of our children with communication difficulties. We create a positive atmosphere where it is normal and accepted to ask for help and make mistakes. Strong teacher questioning, use of sentence stems and the development of articulate succinct answers with specific technical vocabulary, all support our SEND pupils.

Range of learning opportunities: Use of concrete materials in lessons supports conceptual understanding and aid pupils in making connections. Building accurate mental models supports all pupils to make links and apply skills in new contexts. Concrete materials provide the building blocks for understanding in all areas of maths. 

Use of technology: ensuring accessibility for all, engagement, multi-sensory and different ways of recording. Within a year group, different technologies may be used to support children, including those with fine and gross motor difficulties, to help them access and present their Maths learning in different ways, still meeting the learning question and objectives of the session.   

British Values and Mathematics at Oak Tree Primary School

Fundamental British Values underpin what it is to be a citizen in a modern and diverse Britain, valuing our community and celebrating diversity of the UK.

These values are Democracy, Rule of Law, Respect and Tolerance, Individual Liberty.

Democracy

• School Council to conduct voting exercises where data collection is involved (e.g. voting for the colours of the friendship stops, voting for which charities to raise money for, voting for how to fundraise).
• Teamwork in group work.
• Taking turns to listen to everyone speak and give their answers and explanations.
• Taking into account the views of others in shared activities.

Rule of Law

• Undertake safe practices, following class rules during tasks and activities for the benefit of all.
• Understand the consequences if rules are not followed.
• Following rules when playing Maths games.
• Applying rules in calculations, algebra and geometry.

Respect and Tolerance

• Work within boundaries to make safe choices during practical activities.
• Make own choices within data handling activities.
• Teamwork in group work.
• Respecting other children’s views which may differ from their own (e.g., the best way/most efficient way to solve a problem).
• Use maths to learn about different faiths and cultures around the world (e.g., looking at patterns/shapes within Islam/Hindu religions).

Individual Liberty

• Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-confidence in maths.
• Allow children to make mistakes and learn from them.
• Children to behave appropriately, allowing everyone the opportunity to work effectively.
• Children to understand the importance of taking turns and sharing equipment.
• Review each other’s work respectfully using school talk rules.
• Work collaboratively on projects/problems as well as help and advise others.
• Model freedom of speech. Devising own ways to present ideas and solutions.
• Challenge stereotypes (e.g., assemblies about Maths in the wider world and how women can be engineers/men can be hairdressers etc.)