To develop your child’s fluency and mental maths skills, we have introduced KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) throughout school. KIRFS are a way of helping children to learn by heart, key facts and information which they need to have an instant recall of in maths.

Our KIRFs are aligned to the National Curriculum and designed to support the development of the mental maths skills that underpin much of the maths work in our school. They contain number bonds and times tables, which are particularly useful when calculating: adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing. We have also included some measures facts, which need constant practise and rehearsal.

KIRFs need to be practised frequently and for short periods of time for your child to become more efficient in recalling them easily. Each half term, children will focus on a KIRF to practise and learn at school and at home throughout the half term. We expect the majority of children within a year group to be working towards these targets. Children should know these thoroughly and be able to recall the facts for their year group instantly. If your child is struggling to recall facts, please concentrate on a smaller number and practise more frequently.

The KIRFs handouts include practical ideas to assist your child in grasping the key facts and contain helpful suggestions of ways in which you could make this learning interesting and relevant. They are not designed to be a time-consuming task and can be practised anywhere, for example: in the car, walking to school, etc. Regular practice (little and often) helps children to retain these facts and keep their skills sharp.

The KIRFs will also be practised regularly in school and your child’s teacher will assess whether they have been retained at the end of each half term.

Over their time at The Ridge, children who are able to recall these facts instantly will be confident with number work, understand its relevance, and be able to access the curriculum much more easily. They will also be able to apply what they have learnt to a wide range of problems that confront us regularly, which is an important life skill.

Thank you for your ongoing support with home learning.

Kind regards,

Mrs Hadley

Maths Leader