Mathematics
Statements of Intent:
- We believe that all students can be successful with mathematics regardless of their starting point.
- To teach students the right maths for them (where they are on their journey, not where they supposedly should be).
- To ensure that there is appropriate challenge for all students with a particular emphasis on depth of understanding.
- To ensure meaning-making is a priority and ‘trick’ methods are entirely avoided.
- To make use of regular assessment in order to tap in to the benefits of retrieval practice and to inform next steps in teaching.
- The curriculum is deliberately planned to revisit concepts, thereby helping students move knowledge and skills in to their long-term memory.
- To promote the joy and beauty of mathematics, problem solving and learning in general.
Our Philosophy and approach
Our curriculum promotes the mastery of concepts. We spend longer on topics and delve deeper in to them, as opposed to rushing through content. We believe that this allows students a greater opportunity to develop fluency and become more proficient in applying what they have learnt.
Our assessment structure is one that is designed around retention. We use regular low stakes quizzes on various topics to assess whether our students have retained their prior learning and are able to apply it. We plan lessons around the information taken from these quizzes to ensure that we are always plugging the gaps of what has not been retained.
As a staff we are committed to our own professional development. We regularly spend departmental meeting time improving our teaching by engaging with current educational research. We often observe each other teach in order to learn from each other. Currently the evidenced based practice that we have been engaging with consists of (but is not limited to) cognitive load theory, retrieval practice, variation theory in teaching mathematics, interleaving practice, spaced practice and research around feedback.
We regularly collaborate with the GLOW Maths Hub on a national project to embed the delivery of mastery style lessons. This allows us to ensure all our learners have a deep and secure understanding of the mathematics they are being taught.
Our Curriculum
Please click the below links to find our schemes of learning at KS3 and KS4 with supporting videos.
Year 7 scheme of learning please click HERE
Year 8 scheme of learning please click HERE
Year 9 scheme of learning please click HERE
Year 10 scheme of learning please click HERE
Year 11 scheme of learning please click HERE
Maths Assessment Calendar 2018/19 please click HERE
Hegarty Maths
As a department we make use of Hegartymaths. We use this website for setting homework, but it is also incredibly useful for independent work as it contains excellent tutorial videos and plenty of quizzes to allow for practise. Practise is the only way to improve in maths, there is no shortcut, but the excellent explanations in the videos make a big difference to how successful students can be.
If students are struggling with maths in school then this website is an excellent way to help catch up. Below there are a few documents which students can print off and gradually work through (we would advocate about 1 per week, which would take about 30 minutes) and over time their maths will show a marked improvement.
Student starter guide to using the website:
Higher tier GCSE revision list
Crossover GCSE revision list (students aiming for a grade 5 on higher or foundation)
Here is a booster pack for KS3 students, but can be useful for older students too. It contains the maths skills that are needed to be built on at secondary level maths. We would encourage students to use this to make sure they are fluent in these skills, or work on the ones they struggle with by using the Hegarty Maths videos and quizzes: (Hegarty Maths KS3 booster pack)
Here is a booster pack for A level maths students. These are all of the skills that A level maths students will build upon through A level maths. Students should make sure they are fluent in these skills prior to starting A level maths and work on any that they know are weaker by making use of Hegarty Maths: (Hegarty Maths A level transition course)
Key Stage 5 transition
A Level Induction Booklet - Questions
Hegarty Maths A level transition skills
Enrichment
Mathematics is a hugely interesting subject with many opportunities for enrichment. Enrichment opportunities we are running or have recently run are:
- UKMT mathematics challenges
- UKMT team maths challenges competing against other schools
- An extra GCSE in further maths for students suited to this qualification
- Opportunities with the Further Maths Support Programme who have come in to the school to work with our year 11’s
- Maths Feast problem solving trip
- Enrichment trip to Bristol University
- Big Bang STEM trip in conjunction with the Science department
- Pi day on the 14th of March
- Maths inspiration trip to Bath University
- Times Table Rockstars Rock Wrangle competition
- Lunchtime opportunities for students applying to universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Warwick to work on STEP and MAT questions
- Friday lunch time mathematics club (beginning September 2017) looking at interesting maths problems and concepts not necessarily on the curriculum
How to Help Your Child at Home
We get a lot of requests from parents who would like to support their child at home. Below there is advice on how to do so. The words extending, secure, developing, emerging and not yet reached refer to our Key Stage 3 reporting system.
If they are ‘Extending’
Students should log in to their account on Diagnostic Questions (see their class teacher for their log in details). From here they should click on ‘questions’ on the left hand side. There are then tabs along the top of this page. Click on ‘collections’. Then click on ‘United Kingdom Mathematics Trust’.
Here you will find a selection of quizzes on different topics. You can also choose ‘maths challenge practice quizzes’ where the quizzes will be a variety of topics. These quizzes are excellent problem solving practice of more challenging types of questions.
The Dr Frost Maths website offers a similarly excellent variety of maths challenge practice. To set up an account go to: DrFrostMaths
If they are Secure/Developing
Students should use the scheme of learning with supporting videos that are linked above. They should watch the videos of the topics currently being studied, or that they know they struggle with. They should then practice questions from that topic. A great source of practice questions for every topic can be found at Corbett Maths . If you are unsure which topic your child would benefit from looking over most then please email their class teacher for advice.
Not all parents are confident with mathematics themselves, so the videos provide an excellent opportunity to learn along with the student, or to be confident that the explanations the students are receiving are up to date and accurate.
If they are emerging/not yet reached
Students who are emerging or not yet reached very often struggle with their times tables. If they are in year 7 or year 8 they will automatically have been signed up the Times Table Rockstars. They should use this website to continually practice their times tables. Little and often is the best way so a few games each day would be hugely beneficial.
If they are not in year 7 or 8 but struggle with their times tables, please contact Mr Moss by email (mossb@wyedean.gloucs.sch.uk) and he will set an account up.
If they are emerging/not yet reached but are good at their times tables then very often they have missed a topic earlier in their education or not had enough practice to master it. These students should visit Corbettmaths 5-a-day GCSE 9-1 and complete the ‘numeracy’ sections of the 5 a day. As before, little and often is the best approach. Students should also follow the advice given in the ‘secure/developing’ section above and follow the scheme of learning at home for consolidation.
Websites to be aware of
* denotes log in details required. Please contact your child’s class teacher for these.
- Times Table Rockstars* (There is also an app available on apple and android. Times Table Rockstars is used extensively throughout Year 7).
- MyMaths*
- Corbett Maths
- Diagnostic Questions*
- Integral* (A Level only)
- Exam Solutions (A Level only)
- Physics and Maths Tutor (A Level only)
- Mathschase
- Fun and educational math games
