Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, you no doubt want to help your child or the children in your class excel at maths. Helping little ones grasp and enjoy maths lessons in Years 1-6 can prepare children for future academic challenges and equip them with problem-solving and reasoning skills that will last into adulthood.
But if you’re going to help young mathematicians become maths whizzes, you need to take an effective approach to teaching maths in class or in your home learning sessions. And in the world of primary school maths, one approach that has proved invaluable to teachers and parents alike is the White Rose Maths framework. So what is White Rose Maths and how can it help children master number problems?
What is White Rose Maths?
White Rose Maths is an organisation that provides maths resources and Schemes of Learning for pupils of all ages, from early years to secondary school. The Schemes of Learning (SOL) outline yearly frameworks that break down what children need to learn during each week of each term to master the learning objectives laid out by the National Curriculum. And resources that are aligned with the White Rose Maths frameworks are designed to be enjoyable, engaging and varied, to help pupils develop a love of learning and work towards mastery with differentiated resources.
But what defines White Rose Maths more than their resources and frameworks is their approach to teaching maths. At the heart of their resources and frameworks is the motto “Everyone Can Do Maths: Everyone Can!” — a slogan that we wholeheartedly agree with!
Their mission is to support primary school teachers and parents all over the UK in helping children work towards maths mastery and change attitudes towards this subject, encouraging a growth mindset in both teachers and learners. Adopting a White Rose Maths approach to teaching means making sure all children have the same opportunities to learn and the support they need to fully grasp concepts.
The philosophy behind White Rose Maths also focuses on making maths fun for children and helping them to find enjoyment in number problems. Because when children are engaged in learning and enjoying maths, that’s when lessons really sink in and deep learning happens.
Why Take a White Rose Maths Approach to Teaching?
White Rose Maths has already been embraced by huge numbers of primary schools and parents in the UK, and for good reason. By using White Rose Maths frameworks and guidance to adopt a maths mastery approach, you can help all children achieve excellence in mathematics. No pupils are considered ‘low ability’ or allowed to feel like they ‘can’t do maths’. Instead, a positive ‘can-do’ attitude is encouraged and children are taught to enjoy working with numbers. Adopting a White Rose Maths approach is about building a deep understanding of topics, helping children become confident mathematicians who embrace mathematical challenges with a smile.
Planning lessons also becomes much simpler when you teach for mastery — the White Rose Maths yearly frameworks outline which topics to cover and when, and as these are widely used, you can easily find resources to support each stage of the White Rose Maths curriculum. And by revisiting topics to encourage fluency, the whole class will progress at a similar pace, closing the attainment gap and meaning you won’t have to worry about planning lessons for children with drastically different levels of attainment.
How to Use White Rose Maths to Enhance Children’s Learning
Teachers can use White Rose Maths SOL to plan lessons, choose suitable resources and help children take small steps to progression. The Schemes of Learning make sure topics are introduced to children in a logical order and revisited throughout the year to encourage deep learning and ensure children have the foundational knowledge they need, before moving on to more advanced maths concepts and tackling more challenging number problems.
As for using White Rose Maths for home learning, parents and carers can follow the yearly framework for their child’s year group during home learning sessions. As a parent, you probably don’t have the time to research and digest what your child should be learning each week, but with the White Rose Maths Schemes of Learning, you’ll have a schedule to follow. You can keep children on track with home learning sessions aligned with the National Curriculum.
At Master the Curriculum, we offer thousands of primary school maths resources that support White Rose Maths learning, from maths worksheets to interactive videos, reasoning booklets and teaching slides. And each resource is designed to help children master topics and have fun doing so! You can sign up for a free account and instantly access hundreds of free resources, or unlock access to all of our learning resources and teaching materials with a premium membership.
