🔢 Building Brilliant Number Sense at St Peter’s🧮
Nov19th
🧮 Love, Learn, Shine Through Maths – Our Mastering Number Journey 🔢
At St Peter’s CE Primary School, we believe every child deserves the best start in their mathematical journey. That’s why we’re proud to be part of the NCETM Mastering Number Programme – a national initiative designed to help children develop deep understanding and confidence with numbers.
What is the Mastering Number Programme?
This structured approach focuses on building strong foundations in number sense across Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Now in Key Stage 2. Rather than relying on rote learning, children explore numbers, patterns, and relationships through short, daily sessions. It’s all about helping children understand what numbers mean and how they connect, setting them up for success in later maths learning.
Why is it so important?
Strong number sense: Children learn to see numbers as meaningful, not just symbols.
Confidence and flexibility: They develop mental strategies for calculation and problem-solving.
Secure foundations: By tackling misconceptions early, children are ready for more complex maths later on.
What does this look like in our classrooms?
Children use practical resources to make learning fun and visual:
Rekenreks (Counting Frames) – perfect for exploring addition and subtraction.
Ten Frames – helping children understand number bonds and place value.
Counters and Bead Strings – for grouping and spotting patterns.
Number Lines – supporting counting forwards and backwards.
These tools make abstract ideas concrete, so children can truly Love, Learn, Shine in maths.
How can parents help at home?
Talk numbers every day: Count steps, share snacks, compare sizes.
Play games: Card games, dice games, or board games that involve counting.
Use real objects: Coins, buttons, or toys for grouping and patterns.
Encourage quick recall: Pairs that make 10 are a great start!
Ask “why” questions: “How do you know?” or “Can you show me another way?” to build reasoning skills.
At St Peter’s, we know that strong number sense is the key to unlocking future success in maths. Together – school and home – we can help every child shine brightly in their learning.
