The Grove Primary School

A secure and thorough knowledge of times tables is crucial to all aspects of calculation and Mathematical understanding. We have created our own bespoke times tables scheme which takes each of our children on a ‘Journey Through Time’ as they work their way through the different levels. Children are tested individually at regular intervals, and the tests ensure that each times table is known thoroughly, including related division facts. Parents are kept informed of their child’s progress and provided with resources to help them to practise for the following test. Each level passed is celebrated with a special certificate and an acknowledgement in assembly.

Supporting your child is essential for their success with learning their times tables. Please speak to your child's class teacher if you need help with this. A useful website is:

https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check

We have also produced a guide for using this resource (see below).

In Year 4 there is a statutory Multiplication Tables Check for all pupils. This takes place in June and your child's class teacher will send out details on this during the course of that year.

Information for Parents: Multiplication Tables Check - click here.

Click here to access TTRS

TTRS

We are pleased to have joined the growing number of schools that benefit from Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS). TTRS is an award-winning maths learning platform that helps pupils practise and recall their times tables, sometimes using paper worksheets, and playing online adaptive question-based games via the app and browser. TTRS takes the hassle out, and puts the fun into learning and recalling times tables. This runs alongside our school times tables programme and has become a focused and purposeful way for children to gain the knowledge required to progress confidently through our school scheme.

It is recommended that children spend just a few minutes at a time, as regularly as possible, practising online. The teachers are able to monitor the children’s weekly engagement and progress they have made with their individual tables – these are based on clever algorithms and are constantly updating and adapting according to your child’s attainment and needs. Specific multiplication and division facts are then addressed through targeted questions when playing the single player games.

As TTRS is available to play on mobile devices via the app, as well as the website, your child will be able to practise at home, or on-the-go, whenever suits your family. Occasionally, there may also be opportunities within school for the children to practise on TTRS, although this is now part of the homework expectation for each year group, and so will primarily need to be completed in the child’s own time, at home.

Click here to access Numbots

NUMBOTS

We are also delighted to inform you about another online learning platform that we have subscribed to, called NumBots. This platform uses the same log in details as the TTRS platform and is a fantastic opportunity to support your child’s understanding of number skills, including number bonds and automatic recall of addition and subtraction facts. These are the essential building blocks for higher-level maths concepts and, as some of the games are appropriately challenging for children in all year groups, we are excited by the impact that NumBots will have on your child’s learning. In order to get the best out of NumBots, just like TTRS, we recommend that children play regularly for short bursts at a time, aiming for 3 minutes, five times a week.

Important: For both TTRS and Numbots, please do not allow siblings, friends or family to answer for them, as the programme progresses at the pace of each child. Do feel free to support your child if they are stuck and give them encouragement to keep trying even if it takes a number of times to complete a level.