The School aims to empower pupils with the numeracy skills required for them to become confident learners and lead fulfilled lives as citizens of their local and the wider community.

Numeracy is a skill that involves confidence and competence with numbers and measures. It requires an understanding of the number system, and an ability to solve number problems in a variety of contexts. Numeracy also demands practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered by counting and measuring, and is presented in

• Graphs
• Diagrams
• Charts
• Tables.

Mathematical skills can be consolidated and enhanced when pupils have opportunities to apply and develop them across the curriculum. Poor numeracy skills, in particular, hold back pupils' progress and can lower their self-esteem. To improve these skills is a whole-school matter. Each department identifies in their planning the contribution it makes towards numeracy and other mathematical skills so that pupils become confident at tackling mathematics in any context.

At Newfield School, numeracy is embedded across the curriculum through planning and assessment. Weekly words and phrases are displayed in all classrooms and referred to throughout lessons.

Contribution of mathematics to teaching in other curriculum areas

English:

Mathematics contributes significantly to the teaching of English in our school by actively promoting the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. For example, we encourage children to read and interpret problems in order to identify the mathematics involved. The children explain and present their work to others during plenary sessions.

ICT / Computing 

Teachers of mathematics at Newfield are encouraged to make ICT a part of each lesson. Classrooms have interactive whiteboards and this has helped broaden teaching and learning strategies. Each room contains at least one computer and we have software such as Whiteboard Maths, Education City which is used across the school to aid the teaching of Mathematics.

Children use and apply mathematics in a variety of ways when solving problems using ICT. E.g. to produce graphs and tables when explaining their results or when creating repeating patterns.

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship

Mathematics contributes to the teaching of personal, social and health education, and citizenship. The work that children do outside their normal lessons encourages independent study and helps them to

 work together and respect each other’s views.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

The teaching of mathematics supports the social development of our children through the way we expect them to work with each other in lessons. We group children so that they work together, and we give them the chance to discuss their ideas and results.

Equal Opportunities

In order to give each pupil and equal opportunity to achieve their potential, individual help is often at hand for those who find this subject particularly difficult. It is expected that both girls and boys will have access to all areas of the mathematics curriculum. We do not have stereo – typed pre – conceptions of what individual strength in mathematics, to participate in mathematical activities in a mainstream school. This will therefore give opportunities for pupils to work towards a recognised qualification.