Math and Literacy

Our Approach to Teaching Mathematics

At Summerland, we teach mathematics using the Maths — No Problem! programme, supported by a whole class Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) approach. Our teaching is grounded in research and neuroscience, ensuring every child has the best chance to understand, master, and retain mathematical concepts over time.

Lessons follow a clear structure, with teacher modelling, guided practice, and independent application. This supports all learners to build strong foundations, develop deep understanding, and grow in mathematical confidence.

We also use New Wave Mental Maths as a daily practice tool to build fluency, speed, and accuracy with number skills. This spiral review strengthens long term retention and ensures students are regularly revisiting key concepts.

In addition, we explicitly teach basic facts to ensure students have the essential number knowledge they need to access more complex mathematical thinking. This focused teaching supports automaticity and frees up working memory for problem solving and reasoning.

Together, these approaches ensure our students are well-equipped to think mathematically, solve problems with confidence, and enjoy success in maths.

Literacy

At Summerland we teach reading through  the Science of learning research [structured literacy practices]  and explicit instruction. This means we use proven methods, based on decades of research, to help every child become a confident reader and writer. It is not a program, It comes from thousands of studies and researchers from fields like psychology, education, linguistics, and neuroscience. Lessons are clear, step-by-step, and engaging, so children know exactly what they are learning and how to be successful.

By using the Science of Reading, teachers can give children the right skills in the right order, helping every child build a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning. We refer to this as our scope and sequence for teaching.