At Great Bookham School, it is our intention to deliver a high quality mathematics education which provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically and an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics.

Our curriculum ensures that all children:

• Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics in order to develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply their knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
• Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems.

Each pupil has a daily mathematics lesson covering the aims and objectives from the National Curriculum. Through direct teaching, interactive discussion and guided practice, pupils are supported to develop fluency, reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Each week, pupils are set a home learning activity related to their previous week's learning to embed their understanding. 

Calculation Policies 

The following documents show the progression in calculation (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and how this works in line with the National Curriculum. The consistent use of the concrete, pictorial and abstract approach across the curriculum helps children develop understanding across all the operations in an efficient and reliable way. These policies show how these methods develop children’s confidence in their understanding of both written and mental methods.

EYFS

KS1

Lower Juniors

Upper Juniors

Key Instant Recall Facts 

To develop a child’s fluency and mental maths skills, we have introduced KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) throughout the school.

KIRFS are a way of helping children to learn by heart, key facts and information which they need to have instant recall of. KIRFs are a crucial part of a child's learning journey. They underpin a learner's mental development and ensure that they're able to answer maths questions with confidence.

They are particularly useful when calculating: adding; subtracting; multiplying or dividing. They contain number facts such as number bonds and times tables that need constant practice and rehearsal, so children can recall them quickly and accurately. Instant recall of facts helps enormously with mental agility within maths lessons. When children move onto written calculations, knowing these key facts is very beneficial.

For a child to become more efficient at recalling them easily, they need to be practised frequently and for short periods of time. Each half term, children will focus on a Key Instant Recall Fact (KIRF) to practise and learn at home for the duration of that half term. The KIRFs include practical ideas to assist the children in grasping the key facts and contain helpful suggestions of ways in which you could make this learning interesting and relevant.

They are not designed to be a time-consuming task and can be practiced anywhere – in the car, walking to school, etc. Regular practice - little and often – helps children to retain these facts and keep their skills sharp. Throughout the half term, the KIRFs will also be practiced in school and the teachers will assess whether they have been retained.

Over their time at primary school, we believe that - if the KIRFs are developed fully, children will be more confident with number work, understand its relevance, and be able to access the curriculum much more easily.

They will be able to apply what they have learned to a wide range of problems that confront us regularly.

Year 1 KIRFs

Year 2 KIRFs

Year 3 KIRFs

Year 4 KIRFs

Year 5 KIRFs

Year 6 KIRFs

 

The high quality science curriculum at Great Bookham School ensures all children are:

• Taught essential aspects of the knowledge, methods, processes and uses of science.
• Encouraged to recognise the power of rational explanation, predict how things will behave, analyse causes and develop an excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena.
• Equipped with the scientific knowledge required to understand the uses and implications of science today and for the future.

Each week pupils study at least two hours of science, covering the aims and objectives of the National Curriculum. Each year group receives a balanced curriculum through varied topics and investigations including: scientific enquiry, life processes and living things, materials and their properties, and physical processes.

In addition to the planned curriculum, each year group has an educational visit or workshop linked closely to their science studies. These include visits to RHS Garden Wisley and Nower Wood to explore plants and habitats and a visit to the Natural History Museum in London.

Our curriculum ensures all children can understand the principles of computer science, analyse problems in computational terms, evaluate and apply information technology analytically to solve problems.

Our curriculum:

• Prepares all our children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world in which we live.
• Ensures all children can understand the principles of computer science, analyse problems in computational terms and evaluate and apply information technology to solve problems. This enables children to be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of technology.
• Teaches the importance of good online safety practices and develops understanding and strategies in order for children to stay safe on the internet wherever it is used.

Each pupil has a weekly computing lesson covering the aims and objectives from the National Curriculum. Through a combination of practical, computer-based learning and theoretical activities, children develop a wide range of skills and knowledge across the three key strands of computer science, information technology and digital literacy.

Children will become familiar with a wide range of program languages and software including Scratch, Python, HTML, and Kodu. Each of these are freely accessible online and many of our children choose to continue their learning outside of school, bringing in their projects to share with their peers.

For more information about how you can support your child to stay safe online, please visit our online safety section

Our curriculum intends to inspire creativity, imagination, risk-taking, innovation and a critical understanding of the impact of design technology on daily life and the wider world. Children design and make products that solve real and relevant problems considering their own and others’ needs, wants and values whilst enabling them to use and apply skills from other curriculum subjects.

Each pupil studies a design and technology unit per term, covering the full range of aims and objectives as outlined in the National Curriculum. Through exciting and engaging lessons, pupils gain the skills to design, make, evaluate and apply technical knowledge to a range of projects.