Deepening Number Sense at The Linden Academy

This term, pupils at The Linden Academy, an Ofsted rated 'Good' Luton primary school, have been diving into the world of number! From Reception to Year 6, children across our primary school have been exploring place value, addition and subtraction, and early multiplication and division, all designed to build fluency, confidence, and a deeper understanding of maths.

Our approach begins with a short pre-assessment, helping teachers tailor lessons to each class’s needs. This ensures that every pupil is supported and challenged appropriately. In the early years, children use practical resources such as bead strings and tens frames to make sense of numbers, while older pupils develop written methods and reasoning skills.

A highlight this term has been our End of Unit Reasoning Tasks, where pupils work together to solve challenging problems. These sessions encourage teamwork, discussion, and mathematical thinking and our children love them! As one pupil said, “It’s not just about answers anymore, it’s about explaining how we got there.”

Daily retrieval practice also helps keep learning fresh, allowing pupils to recall and apply key skills with growing independence. Teachers have noticed increased confidence and curiosity across classrooms, with children thinking and talking like true mathematicians.

At The Linden Academy, we’re proud to be an Ofsted-rated Good primary school where pupils are supported to grow as thinkers, problem-solvers, and lifelong learners. Next term, we look forward to Maths Through Stories Week, where pupils will see that maths isn’t just about numbers, it’s a story waiting to be told.

Written by Miss Adebola, Interim Assistant Head and Maths Lead