At Co-op Academy Woodlands, we embody the White Rose Maths’ slogan:

Each area of maths starts a visual process. Children should be able to see and interact with this process, before they go on to master the application of the maths.

We follow the scheme of work provided by White Rose Maths.

A combination of maths techniques are used:

Concrete – Using maths tool boxes and practical hands on objects to teach the visual models of maths.

Pictorial – Showing the maths; we draw it, use a bar model and other methods to visually explain the process. Our children also demonstrate what the maths looks like.

Abstract – Turning the maths back into the numerical, functional methods we recognise. Understanding the fundamentals of maths our children can then apply it in formal written methods.

We don’t use the visual models to replace the abstract approaches. Using the visual models, children gain a greater conceptual understanding of the maths process they need at the earlier stages of learning a topic.

To demonstrate maths in a visual way, we use a lot of exciting equipment. Our maths tool boxes include; dice, number beads, 10 frames, unifix cubes and tape measures. We have also invested in Cuisenaire rods, maths dictionaries and more.