At Christ Church, our aim is that our children develop a positive and confident attitude to Maths, enjoy Maths and reach their full potential as Mathematicians. Problem-solving can motivate learners to learn new mathematics, apply previous learning and make mathematical connections; we want our pupils to be able to apply their Mathematical knowledge in a range of challenging and stimulating situations.
As an NRICH problem-solving school, we are committed to enabling our children to recognise the importance of Maths in the wider world so that they are able to use their Mathematical skills and knowledge confidently in a variety of situations in their lives. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to develop the skills and attitudes necessary to become confident problem-solvers. We know that problem-solving often involves taking wrong turns and making mistakes. We understand that every learner will have times where they might find things difficult or challenging. However, this is where key learning can take place and it’s through overcoming a difficulty or challenge that our children can then enjoy success.
Within our classroom culture, we aim to:
- Create a safe environment in which learners explore, take risks, and appreciate the value of learning from their mistakes
- Celebrate multiple approaches to solving problems and discuss the merits of the different strategies offered
- Provide frequent opportunities for individual and collaborative problem-solving, where learners are given both thinking time, and opportunities to share ideas and insights
- Celebrate the mathematical thinking of every learner
It is important to encourage our children to be resilient in Maths and so not afraid to take risks, enabling all of them to reason and problem solve with increased confidence.
