Numeracy

At St Mary’s Primary School, students are engaged in a minimum of 5 hours of mathematics per week where automaticity in the basics such as mental maths and tables is fostered to enable more complex problem solving as the students become more proficient. It is understood by teachers that without the fundamentals such as basic skills in addition and multiplication, problem-solving and challenging maths tasks are more difficult. Freeing up working memory by automatically knowing number facts and maths concepts, ensures more complex mathematical tasks can be undertaken as the brain is free to fully engage with the problem.