Maths Passports
We have introduced a new mental maths programme called ‘Maths Passports’, starting in Nursery and progressing through to Year 6.
Since the introduction of the 2014 National Curriculum for Maths there is a very clear emphasis on the importance of children knowing their number facts and times tables thoroughly and having instant recall of this information. The expectation outlined in the National Curriculum is that children will ‘recall multiplication and division facts for multiplication tables up 12 x 12’ by the end of Year 4, (Department for Education Statutory Guidance National Curriculum in England: Mathematics programmes of Study 16 July 2014) and this will be tested in a Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) at the end of Year 4.
Maths Passports are a personalised way of learning as the children are challenged in the passport at a level that is appropriate for where they are working at. Each child will have a Maths Passport with a series of targets set out in continents. These targets get progressively more challenging and children progress at their own speed onto the next stage. They will develop instant recall skills in all of the objectives – they should not be taking time to work out the answer to each question; they need to know it instantly.
Following the completion of their passport, pupils will move onto their NASA passport where the targets are set out in planets.
Maths and NASA Passport targets are incorporated into the children’s daily maths lessons and when children have met an objective on three separate occasions, with instant recall, the target has been achieved. Children continue to practice and be assessed on the remaining targets until all of the targets for a continent or planet have been achieved. Once achieved, they can then move on to the next continent or planet and a new set of targets.
To support your child, we would ask that you spend 10 minutes each day practising your child’s passport skills with them. This could be walking to school, in the car, at teatime, before bed – it does not need to be a sit down, formal time.
Below are the links to the objectives for each country/continent/planet and ideas for how you can help with each objective at home.
