Real-Life Maths

'A holistic, creative and active approach to teaching Mathematics.’

As part of our Contextualised Curriculum, pupils in Years 3 to 6 have the opportunity to apply their mathematical and conceptual knowledge in real-life contexts through their engagement with Real Life Maths lessons. These sessions are taught on a bi-weekly basis.

In these sessions, children apply their abstract knowledge to solve a problem in context – this will enable them to fully understand the relationship between the method taught and ‘real life’. This is far removed from a dry and abstract problem – instead it is one that allows the child to create an intrinsic understanding of the need to apply mathematics by locating the mathematical concept into the everyday sphere of the child.

Teachers centre these lessons around every day experiences in which pupils could use maths or on other subjects within that year group – this ranges from visiting the local shop, bank or football pitch, planning a banquet for Henry VIII to surviving on a ration book in World War II. All areas are contextually planned to exploit every opportunity to submerge students in a creative learning context.

In addition to cooperation and mathematical reasoning, children develop investigative skills which result in their understanding of the intrinsic link between learning maths and applying it to everyday life, therefore, providing children with transferable skills that they can use throughout their educational journey and into adult life whilst promoting a love of mathematics.