Mathematics

The Maths Department

Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that is essential to everyday life.

Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline. It is essential to everyday life and most forms of employment. Our Mathematics Curriculum ensures the progressive development of mathematical understanding, enabling students to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas that aim to provide a foundation for understanding the world. It is designed to enable students to: understand that there is a purpose to mathematics beyond the classroom; develop students’ ability to think logically and quantitatively; develop conceptual understanding and solve complex problems; Help students understand and appreciate the beauty of mathematics around us; challenge the more able through appropriate accelerated learning and facilitate others through differentiation. 

The mathematics curriculum is delivered through varied and frequent practise of concepts, with increasingly complex problems that build upon pupils’ prior learning over time. This enables pupils to develop conceptual understanding of mathematics. Pupils are able to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately, becoming fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics. Units have clearly specified objectives, which are pursued until they are achieved. Those that do not demonstrate a level of understanding are supported with additional tuition to ensure that they reach expected levels. Pupils are supported to ensure that they are able to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, assuming relationships and developing arguments, justifications and proof using mathematical language. Vocabulary and spoken language is of great importance in pupils’ development throughout the mathematics curriculum. Etymology is used to explain mathematical key words explicitly in lessons. Problem solving is embedded in the curriculum implementation, with a variety of problems with increasing sophistication, ensuring that pupils are taught to break down problems into a series of simpler steps and are encouraged to persevere in the pursuit solutions. 

Maths through the Key Stages 

The mathematical curriculum is planned to ensure that concepts are taught hierarchically, with prior knowledge being used to effectively introduce new concepts throughout the key stages to ensure progression. In both key stages 3 and 4 teachers ensure that calculators are not a substitute for good written and mental arithmetic and are only used when calculator skills are explicitly required. Text books for key stage 3 and 4 used in the department have been chosen as they contain “Can you still” sections to encourage continual review, and functional mathematics is taught using “Use your maths” in each unit, designed to encourage discussion and to highlight the mathematics required in a variety of daily life situations. 

Numeracy is embedded across other subjects and the methods used maths are also used in science. 

Key Stage 3 

We provide a varied and creative programme of study for students in Key Stage 3 where pupils are able to make rich connections between geometry, number, statistics, ratio and proportion and probability topics. Regular assessment and subsequent evaluations ensures that students are working at a level that best challenges them. This allows students to develop the depth of their mathematical understanding in preparation for their Maths GCSE course which begins in Year 10.

Key Stage 4 

We provide a rigorous course for students in Key Stage 4 to ensure the best possible results. We follow the Edexcel Linear Course for GCSE (9-1) Mathematics.

Key Stage 5 

We are a popular A Level subject choice with students leaving us and going on to study subjects such as Maths, Engineering, Economics and Accounting at university. The Key Stage 5 curriculum is balanced and engaging. 

We follow Edexcel linear AS/A Level courses. Pupils study Pure Mathematics, Mechanics and Statistics. There are three papers to write at the end of second year. Paper 1 and 2 are Pure Mathematics and paper 3 is based on Statistics and Mechanics.  We also offer Further Mathematics for students who achieved a grade 8 or 9 at GCSE. We have excellent pass rates for A Level. We also offer GCSE resit to Key Stage 5 students – tailoring provision to their needs.

Curriculum Map 

Enrichment Opportunities 

The wider student experience is central to our departmental ethos. We have embedded enrichment activities throughout the curriculum as well as numeracy activities during form time in order for students to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas developing their mathematical reasoning in solving problems.

In addition we train highly able students for entry into the UKMT and Kangaroo Maths Challenge. This further stimulates students’ interest in the subject, as well as providing them with a prestigious and well recognised award.

For further information please contact us via email - schooladmin@bishopdouglass.barnet.sch.uk