Mathematics
The 2007 Primary Mathematics syllabus reflects the recent developments and trends in mathematics education. The revised syllabus continues to emphasise conceptual understanding, skill proficiencies and thinking skills in the teaching and learning of mathematics. These components are integral to the development of mathematical problem solving abilities.

Emphasis is also given to reasoning, applications, and use of technology. Advances in technology have changed the way we teach and learn mathematics. The computer and hand-held calculator, for example, offer great potential to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Students will have opportunities to discover, reason and communicate mathematics.
They will engage in stimulating discussions and activities where they can explore possibilities  and make connections. These qualitative changes require a change in the teaching and learning approaches; incorporating activity-based and learner-centred methodologies.
1.   Aims
1.1       Mathematics is an excellent vehicle for the development and improvement of a person’s intellectual competence in logical reasoning, spatial visualisation, analysis and abstract thought.
Students develop numeracy, reasoning, thinking skills, and problem solving skills through the learning and application of mathematics. These are valued not only in science and technology, but also in everyday living and in the workplace. The development of a highly skilled, scientifically and technologically based resource requires a strong grounding in mathematics.
Mathematics is also a subject of enjoyment and excitement, which offers students opportunities for creative work and moments of enlightenment and joy. When ideas are discovered and insights gained, students are spurred to pursue mathematics beyond the classroom walls.
1.2 The aims of teaching mathematics are:

• to promote enjoyment of learning through practical activity, exploration and discussion;
• to promote confidence and competence with numbers and the number system;
• to develop the ability to solve problems through decision-making and reasoning in a range of contexts;
• to develop a practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered and presented;
• to explore features of shape and space, and develop measuring skills in a range of contexts;
• to understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life.

2.   Teaching and Learning Style
2.1   The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in mathematics. Our principal aim is to develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding.  We teach Mathematics initially in Thai language and introduce English into Mathematics through vocabulary building exercises. Mathematics is a ‘cognitive’ subject which is made much more difficult to understand and commit to knowledge when a child’ s brain is coping with the tasks and difficulties involved in learning a new language, as in English. Language learning focuses a child’s skill and energy requirements on the Linguistic component of the brain thus confusion becomes a real factor in inhibiting the student’s ability to learn both at the same pace and time.
By separating these factors we can achieve a greater learning in both language and mathematics which will provide the communications ability later to deliver the higher level of mathematics understanding the student has achieved.
 During our daily lessons we encourage children to ask as well as answer mathematical questions. ICT is used in mathematics lessons for modelling ideas and methods. Wherever possible, we encourage the children to apply their learning to everyday situations.
Mathematics education aims to enable students to:
(1)     Acquire the necessary mathematical concepts and skills for everyday life, and for continuous learning in mathematics and related disciplines.
(2)     Develop the necessary process skills for the acquisition and application of mathematical concepts and skills.
(3)     Develop the mathematical thinking and problem solving skills and apply these skills to formulate and solve problems.
(4)     Recognise and use connections among mathematical ideas, and between mathematics and other disciplines.
(5)     Develop positive attitudes towards mathematics.
(6)     Make effective use of a variety of mathematical tools (including information and communication technology tools) in the learning and application of mathematics.
(7)     Produce imaginative and creative work arising from mathematical ideas.
(8)     Develop the abilities to reason logically, communicate mathematically, and learn cooperatively and independently.
3.   Mathematics Curriculum Planning
3.1   Mathematics is a core subject in the Thai National Curriculum, and we use the amalgamation of the Thai curriculum requirements for mm Mathematics with the Singapore MOE syllabus as the basis for implementing the statutory requirements of the programme of study for mathematics.
3.2   We carry out the curriculum planning in mathematics in three phases (long-term, medium-term and short-term). Our mathematics curriculum framework  gives a detailed outline of what we teach in the long term, while our yearly teaching programme identifies the key objectives we teach to in each year.
3.3   Our medium-term mathematics plans, which are also adopted from our mathematics curriculum framework, give details of the main teaching objectives for each term and define what we teach. They ensure an appropriate balance and distribution of work across each term. These plans are kept and reviewed by the Head of Mathematics and Science.
3.4   It is the class teacher who completes the weekly plans for the teaching of mathematics. These weekly plans list the specific learning objectives and expected outcomes for each lesson, and give details of how the lessons are to be taught. The class teacher keeps these individual plans, and the class teacher and subject leader often discuss them on an informal basis.
4.   The Early Stages - Kindergarten
4.1   We teach mathematics in our kindergarten classes. As the classes are an integral part of the our overall curriculum strategy, we relate the mathematical aspects of the children’s work to the objectives set out in our earl learning objectives. We give all the children the opportunity to develop their understanding of numbers, measurement, patterns, shapes and space, through varied activities that allow them to enjoy, explore, practice and talk confidently about mathematics. As mentioned earlier we teach most of our early years (even into primary school) in Thai the native language to ensure we do not compromise our high standard in  mathematics learning for language.
5.   Contribution of Mathematics to Teaching in other Curriculum Areas
5.1   Languages
The teaching of Mathematics contributes significantly to children’s understanding of Thai and English in our school by actively promoting the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in Thai and later in English. We also promote English development through vocabulary expansion. For example, in mathematics lessons we expect children to read and interpret problems, in order to identify the mathematics involved. They are also improving their command of Thai when they explain and present their work to others during sessions. In English lessons, too, maths can contribute: younger children enjoy stories and rhyme that rely on counting and sequencing, while older children encounter mathematical vocabulary, graphs and charts when reading non-fiction texts.
5.2   Personal and social development
Mathematics contributes to overall students social development. The work that children do outside their normal lessons encourages independent study and helps them to become increasingly responsible for their own learning. The planned activities that children do within the classroom encourage them to work together and respect each other’s views. We present older children with real-life situations in their mathematics work. An example of this may be in the area of managing the spending of money.
5.3   Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
The teaching of mathematics supports the social development of our children through the way we expect them to work with each other in lessons. We group children so that they work together, and we give them the chance to discuss their ideas and results. The study of famous mathematicians around the world contributes to the cultural development of our children.
6.   Mathematics and ICT
6.1   Information and communication technology enhances the teaching of mathematics significantly, because ICT is particularly useful for mathematical tasks. It also offers ways of impacting on learning which are not possible with conventional methods. Teachers can use software to present information visually, dynamically and interactively, so that children understand concepts more quickly. Younger children use ICT to communicate results with appropriate mathematical symbols. Older children use it to produce graphs and tables when explaining their results, or when creating repeating patterns, such as tessellations. When working on control, children can use both standard and non-standard measures for distance and angle. They can also use simulations to identify patterns and relationships. E-mail permits collaborative problem-solving.
7.   Mathematics and Inclusion
7.1   At our school Mathematics forms an important part of the school curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education. Through our mathematics teaching we provide learning opportunities that enable pupils to make good progress. We strive hard to meet the needs of those pupils with special gifts and talents and we take all reasonable steps to achieve this.
7.2   Our assessment process looks at a range of factors including classroom organisation, teaching materials, teaching style, and differentiation so that we can take some additional or different action to enable the child to learn more effectively.  Assessment against the Thailand national curriculum and against our own PTS Assessment Testing and Examinations based on the Singapore model, allows us to accurately assess and consider each child’s attainment and progress against expected levels. This ensures that our teaching is matched to the child’s needs.
7.3   We enable all students to have access to the full range of activities involved in learning mathematics. Where children are to participate in activities outside the classroom ( eg ‘Math Week’) we carry out a risk assessment prior to the activity, to ensure that the activity is safe and appropriate for all students and in accord with our PTS Excursion Policy.
8.   Assessment for Learning
8.1   Teachers will assess children’s work in mathematics from three aspects (long-term, medium-term and short-term). We use short-term assessments to help us adjust our daily plans. These short-term assessments are closely matched to the teaching objectives.
8.2   We make medium-term assessments to measure progress against the key objectives, and to help us plan the next unit of work. We use the class record of the key objectives as the recording format for this.
8.3   We make long-term assessments towards the end of the school year, and we use these to assess progress against school and national targets. We can then set targets for the next school year and make a summary of each child’s progress before discussing it with parents. We pass this information on to the next teacher at the end of the year, so that s/he can plan for the new school year. We make the long-term assessments with the help of end-of-year tests and teacher assessments. We use our own tests for all years which follow the Singapore and Thai Test strategies.  Additionally use British national tests for children in Year 2 and Year 6, plus the optional British national tests for children at the end of Years 3, 4 and 5. We also make annual assessments of children’s progress measured against the level descriptions of the Singapore and British curriculums in addition to the Thai National Curriculum.

8.4   The Head of Mathematics and Sciences keeps samples of children’s work in a portfolio. This demonstrates the expected level of achievement in mathematics in each year of the school. Teachers meet regularly to review individual examples of work against our stated aims and requirements.
9.   Resources
9.1   All classrooms have a number line and a wide range of appropriate small apparatus. Mathematical dictionaries are available in all classrooms. Calculators and a variety of audio visual aids are available from the library and central ICT storage area. The library contains a number of books to support children’s individual research. A range of software is available to support work with the computers.
10.   Monitoring and Review
10.1   Monitoring of the standards of children’s work and of the quality of teaching in mathematics is the responsibility of the subject leader. The work of the Head of Mathematics and Sciences also involves supporting colleagues in their teaching, being informed about current developments in the subject, and providing a strategic lead and direction for mathematics in the school. The Head of Mathematics and Sciences gives the Principal an annual summary in which he or she evaluates strengths and weaknesses in the subject, and indicates areas for further improvement. The Principal allocates regular management time to the Head of Mathematics and Sciences so that he or she can review samples of children’s work and undertake lesson observations of mathematics teaching across the school.
10.2   The Head of Mathematics and Sciences will be given time to attend professional development  courses, observe practice in similar schools and keep up-to date on current
developments in the curriculum area. They will provide feedback to staff.
10.3 This policy will be reviewed at least every three years.