Head of Maths: Fraser Blackwood (f.blackwood@swr.gloucs.sch.uk)

Our intent:

1) Foster a lifelong love of learning mathematics in ALL students. Generating fluent mathematicians and embedding resilience through problem solving and reasoning.

2) Develop pupils into people who are ready to face the mathematical challenges that life creates either in their careers, personal lives or in further study.

3) Effectively deliver the KS3 and KS4 national curriculum as directed: Broad and rich curriculum, embedding the mastery model.

Extra-Curricular

We run a maths group challenge in each year group within the Athelstan trust. We compete in each year group once a year against the other schools.

As a school we compete in the UKMT maths challenge at junior and intermediate levels.

There is also an opportunity to look at the further maths GCSE in years 10 and 11.

The Big Picture

Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. The programmes of study are, by necessity, organised into apparently distinct domains, but the teacher will make, and pupils should make rich connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.

At the end of year 11 the course is assessed with 3 exams each 1 hour 30 minutes long. Paper 1 is a non-calculator paper and papers 2 and 3 are both calculator papers. Each paper contributes equally towards their maths GCSE. The exam papers can be taken at either higher or foundation tier level. Each exam paper assesses on all knowledge and skills gained from the course of study.

Unit Y7
1 Sequences
2 Understand and use algebraic notation
3 Equality and equivalence
4 Place value and ordering integers and decimals
5 Fraction, Decimal and percentage equivalence
6 Solving problems with addition and subtraction
7 Solving problems with multiplication and division
8 Fractions and percentages of amounts
9 Operations and equations with directed numbers
10 Addition and subtraction of fractions
11 Constructing, measuring and using geometric notation
12 Develop geometric reasoning
13 Develop number sense
14 Sets and probability
15 Prime numbers and proof
Unit Y8
1 Ratio and Scale
2 Multiplicative Change
3 Multiplying and dividing fractions
4 Working in the cartesian plane
5 Representing data
6 Tables and probability
7 Brackets, equations and inequalities
8 Sequences
9 Indices
10 Fractions and percentages
11 Standard index form
12 Number sense
13 Angles in parallel lines and polygons
14 Area of trapezia and circles
15 Line symmetry and reflection
16 The data handling cycle
17 Measures of location
Unit Y9
1 Straight line graphs
2 Forming and solving equations
3 Testing conjectures
4 Three dimensional shapes
5 Constructions and congruency
6 Numbers
7 Using percentages
8 Maths and money
9 Deduction
10 Rotation and translation
11 Pythagoras’ Theorem
12 Enlargement and similarity
13 Solving ratio and proportion problems
14 Rates
15 Probability
16 Algebraic representation
Unit Y10
1 Congruence, similarity and enlargement
2 Trigonometry
3 Representing solutions of equations and inequalities
4 Simultaneous equations
5 Angles and bearings
6 Working with circles
7 Vectors
8 Ratios and fractions
9 Percentages and interest
10 Probability
11 Collecting, representing and interpreting data
12 Non-Calculator methods
13 Types of number and sequences
14 Indices and roots
15 Manipulating expressions
Unit Y11
1 Gradients and lines
2 Non-linear graphs
3 Using graphs
4 Expanding and factorising
5 Changing the subject
6 Multiplicative reasoning
7 Geometric reasoning
8 Transforming and constructing
9 Listing and describing
10 Revision and Exams