Mathematics

Curriculum Intent

Our vision within the mathematics department is to enable students to build a secure framework of mathematical skills and reasoning, which they can use and apply with confidence in the real world. The mathematics department aims to develop mathematical fluency and mastery of key concepts and skills to enable students to use mathematics with confidence in their everyday and future adult lives. We will support all students and challenge them to fulfil their full potential.

Mathematics aims to develop students’ mathematical confidence allowing them to become resilient learners who can solve a range of complex problems and can also critically analyse the world around us. Mathematics is a universal language which underpins many other areas of the curriculum; as well as developing skills that will help with everyday life such as budgeting for household goods, running a business and understanding politics. The principles of mathematics are universal no matter what part of the world you are in. 

Mathematics is the study of numbers, shapes, and space. Students will start Key Stage 3 by building on their Key Stage 2 learning to retrieve and develop their core mathematical skills. Whilst following a dedicated sequence of lessons, all students will be developing their knowledge, skills and understanding across the key learning strands: number, algebra, ratio, proportion, probability, statistics, geometry and measures. Each mathematics lesson is designed to fully challenge students while still being accessible to all through differentiated teacher support. Every lesson is carefully planned by the individual teacher, allowing them to implement their own teaching style and tailor the content of the lesson to the specific class in front of them. Maths lessons feature clear modelling, class discussion and independent practice.

Our key stage 4 curriculum is designed to build upon skills learnt at key stage 3. At this stage in the curriculum students will now be following a foundation tier or a higher tier scheme of work.

We aim to build fluency, confidence and appreciation of mathematics as well as mastery of its core techniques and key concepts. We do this through an emphasis on “mathematical fundamentals” in Years 7 and 8 across the strands described above. We seek to make students fluent and confident in the language of mathematics so that, as they progress, they can tackle problems that require “mathematical decision making” as needed in daily life.

Our aim is to establish an unthreatening climate for learning in which pupils are prepared to take risks and see their mistakes as part of their learning process. They will check the reliability of this solution against reasonable expectations and ideally, appreciate the satisfaction of solving the problem successfully.

As students take their mathematics further they will be able to appreciate the beauty of mathematical patterns, the power of mathematical models and the overall fascination of the subject through cross curriculum activities and maths clubs. Whilst we want students to achieve the very best examination results possible, we believe our curriculum goes beyond what is examinable. As a department we offer opportunities for individual and team competition through the UKMT, for example.

As a department we work with students to prepare them for the next stages of their learning from Key Stage 3 to GCSE, from GCSE to college and to the world of work.

We have eight subject specialist teachers employed in the well-equipped maths department with eight dedicated maths classrooms. We also have access to an ICT suite where students have the opportunity to use Hegarty Maths and Times Table Rockstars.

Curriculum Overview

 

Key Stage 4 Specification