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.

Ms Khan is Head of Department with Mr Clark as KS3 coordinator, Mrs McAuley as KS4 coordinator, and Miss Tran as KS5 coordinator. We are very fortunate to also have Mrs Smith (Assistant Head), Miss Rout (Assistant Head), Mrs Chen, Mrs Ruggiero and Miss Warnakulasuriya 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 Mathspad Scheme of work, alongside the online worksheets and the Maths pad platform. Students have access to Dr Frost Maths and Mathswatch for additional practice. Students are taught in 6 teaching groups according to their overall mathematical 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 two summative tests - currently in the early Spring term and an end of year assessment covering everything they have learnt that year. All these opportunities provide an opportunity to assess learning and inform teachers of pupil progress.

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

Pupils begin the GCSE course in year 9. They follow the Pearson Edexcel course using online resources. The Higher tier covers grades 4-9. The Foundation tier covers grades 1-5, with a degree of overlap between the tiers. 

In year 10, we split the groups further into 7 sets, ensuring the lower groups have more support in a smaller class. Sets 1 to 4 are taught the Higher content whereas sets 5 to 7 are taught the Foundation content.

Pupils are assessed continuously throughout the course through unit tests. Each pupil’s progress is carefully considered over the three year course and a final decision on the 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: November and March

At the beginning of Year 10 students will be asked to purchase an Exam Questions workbook though the school which will assist in their revision for these assessments.

In addition to the Mathematics GCSE there is also an AQA Level 2 Further Maths course available to those who show a particular aptitude for the subject. Students are selected for this after the November mock examinations in Year 11.

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. In A-level Maths, Pupils study Pure Mathematics, Statistics and Mechanics. In Further Maths, they study Core Pure 1 and 2 alongside Decision Maths and Further Mechanics.

Mathematics Support

Additional support is provided in the department with a maths clinic during lunch time (three times a week) 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 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, as well as the Maths Olympiad for Girls, with some proceeding to follow-on rounds. Teams also compete regularly in Maths competitions including the UKMT Junior and Senior Team Challenges, often placing in the top 10 in regional challenges. Our students also take part in the Jack Petchey Count on us Challenge, and we were the national winners in past years.

There is also a cross-curricular trip to Bletchley Park organised alongside the History Department, and a trip to Maths in action in Year 12.