Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs A Steel Lyminge Church of England Primary School Church Road Lyminge Folkestone CT18 8JA

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Ofsted 2011–12 good practice survey: primary mathematics

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff and pupils, during my visit on 23 May 2011 to look at your work in mathematics, with a particular focus on arithmetic.

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Ofsted 2011–12 good practice survey: primary mathematics

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting as well as wider dissemination of good practice. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

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Ofsted 2011–12 good practice survey: primary mathematics

Evidence was gathered through: interviews with staff and pupils; scrutiny of relevant documents; analysis of pupils’ work; and observation of four lessons.

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Features of good practice

 Effective daily teaching of mental and oral strategies, often through fast- moving games, equips pupils with a wide range of important skills, promotes quick recall of number facts, and boosts pupils’ confidence.  These skills are built upon systematically through the consistent application of the school’s calculation policy which ensures effective progression through a series of methods and strategies, leading to more formal algorithms in the four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. As a result, pupils demonstrate high levels of skill in these operations by the time they reach Year 6.  Pupils develop good conceptual understanding and a strong sense of number through well-planned, enjoyable practical activities that are supported by a wide range of useful resources.  Teachers give pupils many opportunities to discuss their thinking with a partner and expect them to explain their strategies and reasoning using

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Features of good practice

correct mathematical vocabulary. Pupils respond confidently and give clear, reasoned explanations.  Pupils apply their knowledge and skills in a variety of situations. Effective whole-school approaches to problem-solving further develop reasoning and systematic approaches. Open-ended investigations challenge pupils to ‘think outside the box’.  An annual ‘Enterprise Week’ gives pupils valuable experience of real-life financial concepts, such as costing and calculating profit and loss.  Excellent arrangements to involve parents in their children’s learning are proving very popular and beneficial. Very clear guidelines, ‘Drop-in-Zone’ evenings and parents’ workshops all help to give parents a deeper understanding of how concepts are taught and to avoid confusion about the methods used.  Exceptional teamwork between highly skilled teaching assistants and teachers underpins planning and provision of support for pupils of all

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 ensuring consistently high challenge for the most able pupils, in each part of the lesson and in every class  improving marking by ensuring that pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve and time to address errors and misconceptions before moving on to the next piece of work.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

I hope that these observations are useful as you continue to develop mathematics at Lyminge Church of England Primary School.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

As I explained previously, a copy of this letter will be published on the Ofsted website. It may be used to inform decisions about any future inspection. A copy of this letter will be sent to your local authority.

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