Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of interconnected topics around the themes of number, algebra, shape, data and probability. It provides students with the tools to solve problems and communicate these solutions to others. As such, it represents a key component of other subjects that students will study and provides a common language for problem-solving across all of these subjects.
Our key principle in Mathematics is to develop our students’ understanding of the mathematical world around them in order to provide them with the problem-solving and communication skills that they will require for their further study and careers.
Curriculum Aims
Our mathematics curriculum is one curriculum that works for all. All students follow the same curriculum with support in place for those that need it.
Our aim is for all students not just to be able to remember key facts and procedures but also to understand why (and why not) and to be able to use knowledge appropriately, flexibly and creatively and to apply it in new and unfamiliar situations.
Our curriculum promotes a ‘teaching for understanding’ philosophy and is broken down into well documented small steps. The aim is for all students to achieve mastery in mathematics, not just memorising key facts and procedures. The White Rose Maths programme that we have adopted and adapted is central to this.
Our curriculum aims to allow students to develop a range of problem solving strategies, whilst exposing them to a broad variety of topics and question types, interleaved throughout, to allow students to accumulate knowledge and to promote retention of this knowledge. Students’ mathematical confidence is built through an acceptance of initial errors and discussions around misconceptions, whilst allowing them to see their progression by using appropriate assessments.
Our curriculum is aspirational for all students whilst taking into account their levels of pre-requisite knowledge before commencing each unit of study. Students are encouraged to demonstrate resilience to overcome the challenges they will encounter and work in an environment where mistakes are normalised and recognised as part of the learning journey.
Curriculum Design
Our curriculum for Mathematics is framed around the National Curriculum and carefully sequenced to ensure that mathematical knowledge is built over time.
As well as the National Curriculum, our curriculum design and implementation has been influenced by NCETM’s Teaching for Mastery Programme, the National Numeracy strategy and the White Rose Maths’ schemes of learning. It promotes the key ideas of “teaching for understanding” and a focus on fluency and retention as identified in the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) ‘Improving Mathematics Evidence Review of 2018’. It is further supported by the Advanced Maths Support Programme at KS5.
Our curriculum builds on KS2 content and prepares students for KS5 content providing a rich, broad and varied experience, both accessible and challenging for all learners. It builds on students’ knowledge from primary school and revisits the key strands of mathematics in a spiral fashion, each time covering more complex and detailed concepts. It is based on a mastery approach and makes clear the connections between the different maths topics and highlights skills that are used in other subjects across the college.
Topics are regularly reviewed and revisited to promote retention of knowledge and the connections between mathematical topics and ideas are highlighted.
The initial focus is on the fundamentals of mathematics and once fluency has been achieved, to go on to be able to reason mathematically and solve problems.
Students will develop their levels of numeracy together with a range of problem-solving skills that are transferable to other subjects that they study as well as to their future careers. They will develop their mathematical language to allow them to discuss and question the mathematics they are doing whilst being given the opportunity to articulate their views and listen to the views of others.
Please click the link to view our Mathematics Curriculum Year Overview
Future Pathways and Next Steps
Through the study of Mathematics we aim to unlock each students' potential and inspire them to achieve excellence by being the best they can be. This can lead to a wide range of future opportunities, some of which include:
University Degrees: Actuarial Science, Aeronautical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Economics, Logistics, Mechanical Engineering, Statistics
Apprenticeships: Chartered Surveyor, Data Scientist
Careers: Accounting, Actuary, Computer Programmer, Engineering, Financial Advisor, Investment Analyst, Management Consultant, Stock Broker
Students can find out more about the subject and careers above by logging into their Unifrog account at https://www.unifrog.org/sign-in and using the Subject Library and Careers Library tools.