“Mathematics is the queen of science and arithmetic the queen of mathematics”
– Carl Friedrich Gauss
Intent
Mathematical literacy is fundamental and by enabling students to learn core life skills which will help with everyday tasks such as managing money and planning journeys, we aim to support our students in preparing for their futures. In addition to these core life skills, our intent is to develop within our students an appreciation and passion for Mathematics in its more abstract form.
We firmly believe at Stanley High School that every student has the ability to learn and succeed and as a result, we have one curriculum which all students follow. Our curriculum has a key focus on conceptual understanding, problem solving and communicating mathematically with staff placing emphasis on teaching depth rather than breadth. Our intent is for students to leave Stanley High School fully equipped with a skillset equipping them for successful lives beyond year 11.
Implementation
In order to implement our curriculum, we strive to continuously improve on our carefully designed curriculum. Our specialist Mathematics team aim to address misconceptions, encourage curiosity and share a passion for Mathematics with the students in our care. Within the department, we have five full-time Mathematics teachers and two part-time teachers.
Year 7 and 8 students (KS3) have 6 hours of Mathematics per fortnight with this increasing to 7 hours per fortnight in years 9, 10 and 11 (KS4). At KS3, students are exposed to a broad and balanced curriculum with a particular focus on how each topic fits into the bigger picture. Students are taught in loose mixed-ability groups for the first half term of year 7 where they are taught a specific Mastery scheme of work. Students then sit an assessment and are grouped accordingly. The separate high, middle and supported pathways are taught after this time.
By engaging in high-quality CPD opportunities such as engagement with local Maths hubs, staff are committed to providing the highest quality of education for our young people.
At KS4, we follow the Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) course. This course aims to develop fluent knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts; acquire, select and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems; reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences, draw conclusions and comprehend and interpret and communicate mathematical information in a variety of forms appropriate to the information and context.
More information regarding our KS4 specification can be found at the following link: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/mathematics-2015.html
Students with additional needs can expect in-class intervention with support from enthusiastic Teaching Assistants and support staff as well as class teachers. At KS3, we have the benefit of extra intervention sessions as part of our timetable for any students not deemed secondary ready and at KS4, we have form-time intervention sessions as well as extra catch-up and revision sessions after school.
All students have access to challenging opportunities as part of their regular class work. At KS3, homework is issued weekly via MathsWatch and at KS4, students benefit from weekly exam questions to aid their exam technique and fluency. For students who may find the KS4 curriculum challenging or require some extra support to access the content, we offer the Edexcel Award in Mathematics which is a stand-alone Maths qualification, offered at two different levels.
We also offer AQA level 2 Further Mathematics as an extra qualification for students who show an exceptional talent for the subject or those who wish to try.
Impact
Student progress is monitored regularly through retrieval starters which take place at the start of every Mathematics lesson. Teachers use these starters to inform their planning, regularly making connections to how content fits into the ‘bigger picture’. Students complete half-termly checkpoint assessments in order to assess understanding. Students are then assessed at the end of each year, with knowledge being assessed cumulatively. Assessments and class performance then informs intervention which takes many forms and is tailored to the individual student.
Suggested post-16 pathways and possible careers
Many of our students go on to study Mathematics and Further Mathematics at local colleges and then on to University to study Mathematical degrees.
Mathematics at sixth form or college could open many doors for future careers such as engineering, accountancy, medicine or teaching. Past students have gone on to study apprenticeships at BAE systems.
Additional Information
In addition to delivering the Mathematics curriculum up to GCSE, we also offer opportunities for our students to engage in extra-curricular activities such as Rocket Club, STEM activity days and UKMT Maths Challenge events. We have recently engaged with the University of Liverpool Maths School to provide a weekly high-quality transition to A-level opportunities for our year 11 high achieving Mathematicians. This school year, we are working with the University of Derby to look at Mathematical careers and developing our students’ knowledge of the uses of Mathematics when they leave school.
Our Maths department is actively involved with supporting other curriculum areas with the numeracy covered in their areas which helps to ensure consistency with methods taught across the curriculum.
Useful websites
- MathsWatch: https://vle.mathswatch.co.uk/vle/
Students have their own individual login details and can access a range of videos on topics covered in lessons. - Corbett Maths: https://corbettmaths.com/
Useful GCSE practice questions, videos and past papers (with solutions). - Mathsbot: https://mathsbot.com/
Useful question generators with solutions.
