The boys in Reception have made steady progress throughout their first term of Mathematics at Durston House. During the first half of the Autumn Term they focused on numbers to 5. This half term they have progressed to working with numbers to 10. They have just been introduced to the part-whole model to help consolidate bonds to 5 and will use this new learning to help with bonds to 10. A variety of objects in the classroom are used to help with counting. This also allows the boys a chance to continually practise their number formation.

Year 1’s have been working hard learning how to subtract from 10. They have been looking at a range of ways of doing this including breaking apart, using a number line and fact families. The boys enjoyed using their new learning to solve word problems. They love discussing their justification for their answer in groups. This gives them the opportunity to learn from each other and highlights the fact there can be more than one strategy used to answer a question. Counters, number lines and part-whole models prove helpful when trying to find the answer.

Year 2’s current topic is addition and subtraction. They are practising a range of ways to add and subtract including bridging ten, fact families, number bonds, using a number lines and ten frames. In this lesson boys were adding three one-digit numbers together. In pairs, boys used a dice to roll three numbers and then add them together. They focused on adding the two easiest number first. Boys were able to use their knowledge of number bonds to 5 and 10, doubles and timetables to support their work. 

Miss Ingram – Pre-Prep Teacher