Our Maths Curriculum

At Lyneham Primary School, we want every child to see themselves as a mathematician—confident, curious, and capable of thinking deeply and flexibly with numbers.

While our maths outcomes have been good, we know they could be even better. In 2024, following a detailed review of our teaching and learning in mathematics, we made the decision to adopt the Ark Maths Mastery programme across the school.

We chose Ark Maths because it reflects our ambition: to provide a high-quality, consistent, and rigorous maths education for all pupils. The programme is carefully sequenced, with each lesson building on prior knowledge, and places a strong focus on conceptual understanding, mathematical language, and problem-solving. This ensures children don’t just get the right answers—they understand the why behind them.

Importantly, Ark Maths provides clear structures for scaffolding and challenge, so that every child can access the learning while being stretched to reach their full potential. The shared pedagogical approach across the school means that children experience a consistent maths journey from Reception through to Year 6, with less variation depending on the individual teacher.

Our aim is to ensure that by the end of Year 6, at least 90% of pupils are meeting age-related expectations in maths—an aspiration aligned with the ambitions of the 2022 White Paper. We believe Ark Maths gives us the tools, structure and support to help make this a reality.

Supporting Your Child with Maths at Home

At Lyneham Primary School, we know that when school and home work together, children make even greater progress. With the introduction of Ark Maths Mastery, we want to help families understand how maths is taught in school and how you can best support your child at home.

What is Maths Mastery?

The Ark Maths Mastery programme is built on the belief that all children can succeed in maths. It emphasises deep understanding of number, clear mathematical language, and applying knowledge to solve problems. Rather than rushing through lots of topics, children spend longer on key concepts, so they can truly master them.

How You Can Help at Home

You don’t need to be a maths expert to support your child. Here are some simple ways you can make a big difference:

• Talk about maths in everyday life—shopping, cooking, time, money and measuring all involve maths.

• Use the same language we use in school. For example, your child might talk about “tens and ones” rather than “units” or use the word “partitioning” when breaking up numbers. Encourage them to explain their thinking out loud.

• Practise number fluency—quick recall of number bonds and times tables gives children confidence. Short, regular practice (even five minutes a day) is more effective than long sessions.

• Be positive about maths—even if it wasn’t your favourite subject at school! Confidence grows when children feel supported and encouraged.

• Use online resources or games recommended by your child’s teacher. These will often align with the methods we use in school.

Ask Us Anything

We know the way maths is taught today can feel very different to how many adults learned it. Please don’t hesitate to speak to your child’s teacher if you’re unsure about anything—we’re always happy to explain strategies or suggest resources.

Working together, we can help your child develop strong number sense, a love of problem solving, and the confidence to tackle any maths challenge that comes their way.