Maths
Aims and Philosophy
The mathematics department aims to develop confidence in the subject at all levels, so that pupils are able to achieve the best possible grades at GCSE and A level.
The department provides an extensive range of academic support and we aim for pupils of all abilities to enjoy and find interest in a subject which equips them with the skills they will need for life in a modern, technological society.
Mrs Khan is Head of Department with Mrs McAuley as KS4 co-ordinator, Mrs Ruggiero as KS3 co-ordinator and Miss Tran as KS5 co-ordinator. We are very lucky to also have Mrs Smith (Assistant Head), Mrs Chen, Miss Rout and Mr Clark in our department. Each member of the maths department is hugely committed to inspiring our next generation of mathematicians.
Key Stage 3
At KS3 we follow the Collins Scheme of work, use Collins Maths Frame-working text books and have access to Collins connect with on-line text books and homework. Students are taught in 6 teaching groups according to their overall academic ability. Sets 5 and 6 are smaller groups, allowing pupils to receive extra support from their teachers.
Weekly homework and regular ‘check outs’ inform teachers of their progress in each branch of mathematics. There are summative tests at the end of the Christmas and Easter terms and an end of year assessment covering everything they have learnt that year. All these opportunities provide an opportunity to review setting.
Students are asked to purchase a KS3 revision book that will help them revise for each of these assessments. This will help them prepare for the type of work and revision needed for their GCSE course.
Key Stage 4
At GCSE we spilt the groups further into 7 sets, ensuring the lower groups have even better access to their teachers. Pupils follow the Edexcel course using the CGP text book. The Higher tier covers grades 4-9 and it is a significantly more challenging exam than the old maths GCSE.
The Foundation tier shares some of the questions but is an overall more accessible exam which covers grades 1-5. Each pupil’s progress will be carefully considered over the two year course and a final decision on tier of entry will be made in Year 11, according to which tier is more likely to lead to a higher grade for each pupil.
Pupils will be assessed at the following times:
Year 10: February and June
Year 11: December and March
At the beginning of Year 10 students will be asked to purchase from school an Exam Questions workbook which will assist in their revision for these assessments.
In addition to the Mathematics GCSE there is also a Further Maths course available to those who show a particular aptitude for the subject.
All GCSE mathematics courses are linear with no coursework element.
Sixth Form
Mathematics is an extremely popular subject, producing many top grades each year.
We continue to follow the Edexcel syllabus for both Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A level. Both courses are now linear and all material is examined at the end of Year 13.
Pupils study Pure Mathematics, Statistics and Mechanics at A level.
Mathematics Support:
Additional support is provided in the department with a maths clinic happening every lunch time where students can come and ask a teacher or one of our maths prefects. We also have a number of sixth form students that give up their time to come into lower school maths lessons to assist with those struggling with maths.
We run a number of intervention classes for our GCSE and A level students. These run either during school time, after school or on a Saturday morning. We also provide drop in support sessions for pupils studying A level Mathematics.
Competitions:
There is strong involvement in extra-curricular mathematics, with many pupils excelling in the UK Mathematics Challenge at Junior, Intermediate and Senior level. Teams also compete regularly in Maths competitions including the UKMT Team Challenges and the Jack Petchey Challenge.
There is also a trip to Bletchley Park organised alongside the History Department.
