To develop your child’s fluency and mental maths skills, we have introduced KIRFs (Key Instant Recall Facts) throughout school. KIRFS are a way for parents to help your child have quick recall of key facts and information.

KIRFs are designed to support the development of mental maths skills that underpin much of the maths work in schools. They are particularly useful when calculating: adding; subtracting; multiplying or dividing. They contain number facts such as number bonds and times tables that need constant practice and rehearsal, so children can recall them quickly and accurately.

Instant recall of facts helps enormously with mental agility within maths lessons. When children move onto written calculations, knowing these key facts is very beneficial. For your child to become more efficient in recalling them easily, they need to be practised frequently and for short periods of time.

Each half term, children will focus on a Key Instant Recall Fact (KIRF) to practise and learn at home for the half term. The KIRFs 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 practiced anywhere – in the car, walking to school, etc. Regular practice - little and often – helps children to retain these facts and keep their skills sharp.

Throughout the half term, the KIRFs will also be practiced in school and your child’s teacher will assess whether they have been retained. Over their time at primary school, we believe that, if the KIRFs are developed fully, children will be more confident with number work, understand its relevance, and be able to access the curriculum much more easily. They will be able to apply what they have learned to a wide range of problems that confront us regularly.