Maths
My name is Mrs Cannell and I’ve been working in schools for over 10 years, teaching across all primary year groups from EYFS through to Year 6. I am a member of the Senior Leadership Team and previously have led multiple subjects across the curriculum. As Maths Lead, I love helping children build confidence and enjoy maths through a clear, hands-on approach. I’m passionate about problem – solving, logical thinking and making sure learners really understand what they’re learning before moving on. I enjoy supporting staff, developing an engaging curriculum and creating a positive maths culture where everyone feels they can succeed.
What are we teaching in Maths and why it is important
At Boston Pioneers Academy, we teach a high-quality maths curriculum that ensures all learners can build key knowledge and skills in a logical order. Learners develop fluency in numbers, reasoning and problem-solving that prepares them for real-world challenges. We emphasise the purpose and application of maths so learners understand how it connects to everyday life, future learning and future careers. Through maths, learners become independent, confident thinkers whose skills support success across the curriculum and beyond school.
How we teach Maths
At Boston Pioneers Academy, our maths curriculum is designed using a spiral approach, where key concepts are revisited and built upon throughout the year and across year groups. This helps pupils remember more, make connections and deepen their understanding over time. Learning is broken down into small, manageable steps so children can build confidence and success at every stage. When introducing new concepts, we use the CPA (Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract) approach to support understanding.
In Years 4 to 6, a specialist maths teacher provides high-quality intervention to support targeted learners, helping them build confidence, strengthen understanding and make strong progress. This ensures every learner is given the opportunity to succeed in maths.
What we want them to have learnt in Maths
By the end of Early Years (EYFS)
Learners have a strong foundation in number. They are confident counting, recognising numbers and comparing amounts, and begin simple addition and subtraction. They explore shape, space and measure and start to explain their thinking using maths language. Learners are encouraged to reason, solve simple problems and talk about their ideas, helping them develop confidence and curiosity in maths.
By the end of Key Stage 1
Learners are fluent with number bonds and basic calculations and have a secure understanding of place value. They solve problems involving the four operations and develop their understanding of fractions, measures and shape. Learners are able to explain their thinking, reason about their answers and choose strategies to solve problems independently.
By the end of Key Stage 2
Learners are confident, fluent and independent mathematicians. They have strong calculation skills and a secure understanding of fractions, decimals and percentages. Learners can solve a wide range of problems, reason clearly and apply their maths across the curriculum and in real-life situations, fully prepared for the challenges of secondary school.
