Numeracy Across the Curriculum
The transfer of skills is something that many pupils find difficult. It is essential to start from the basis that pupils realise it is the same skill that is being used. In order for this to be successful it is vital that the approaches/strategies in subjects, where possible, remain the same so that those basic connections are made.
The maths department uses the North Yorkshire Common Calculations Policy
Many key numeracy skills taught in Maths lessons will be referred to and used in other subject and topic areas. Other curriculum teams will reinforce this knowledge and help students to apply them in a variety of situations. Close working and liaison between curriculum areas is vital to students developing and being confident in the transference of skills.
Other subject leaders should:
- ensure that they are familiar with correct mathematical language, notation, conventions and techniques, relating to their own subject, and encourage students to use these correctly.
- through the sharing of whole school annual maths assessments data; all staff will be made aware of significant difficulties experienced by cohorts and individual pupils and intervention programs that have been put in place. Staff should wherever possible use this information when planning their lessons which include a numeracy element.
- support the maths team in identifying which specific numeracy skills will be required for particular subject areas.
- all subject leaders should give every encouragement to pupils using mental techniques but must also ensure that they are guided towards the efficient methods, using the North Yorkshire County Council Calculations policy to guide them.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Review
First Year:
- Staff to provide information for Maths teachers relating to specific numeracy skills for year groups.
- Whole school training on working memory/calculation strategies delivered through whole staff training days; the introduction of the whole school maths assessment used to set a baseline for numeracy levels across all phases.
- Maths team to identify specific strategies required to facilitate the running of an intervention programme for selected pupils.
- Attend identified training and share best practice.
Second Year:
- Embed best practice – evaluate and review progress made by students. From this review, maths teachers will decide which two key numeracy elements will be addressed in this year and by using whole school training days and teachers meetings they will provide suitable training for the subject leaders and staff.
- Intervention programme run and embedded with suitable pupils and progress assessed.
Third Year:
- Continue to embed best practice and evaluate and review progress made by students. As part of the evaluation process maths teachers will identify which 2 key numeracy elements will be address this year through staff training and Teaching Staff meetings.
Other subject leaders should provide resources for mathematics teachers, (where appropriate), to enable them to use examples of applications of numeracy relating to other subjects in mathematics lessons.