Curriculum Statement - Mathematics
‘Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations or algorithms: it is about understanding.’ – William Paul Thurston
Powerful Knowledge in Mathematics
Our curriculum aims to empower students to develop and apply problem solving skills focusing predominantly on the powerful and overarching mathematical components: proportional reasoning, geometrical reasoning and graphical representations.
Our aim is to encourage students to develop mathematical behaviour and as such our curriculum encourages students to develop deeper understanding to make links across curriculum areas and foster a mastery approach.
Curriculum Features
At all levels, students are provided with opportunities to behave mathematically. The emphasis is on empowering students to notice, make connections, explain, justify, conjecture, prove.
We adopt a Mastery approach with one set of mathematical concepts and big ideas for all. We encourage students to deploy particular models to support their development (ratio tables, area model, graphing) as well as draw a pictorial representation to make sense of a given situation.
Challenge is provided through depth rather than acceleration. These beliefs are in line with the current National College of Excellence in Teaching Mathematics drive on Mastery.
Co-curriculum Enrichment
Students will be offered a wide variety of opportunities and experiences that widen their appreciation of mathematics and the world around it. These will include:
- Developing an appreciation of some aspects of finance and more creative mathematics
- “Maths society community” leading to taking part in national competitions such as the UK Mathematics Individual Challenge and Team challenges
- Code breaking with opportunities to visit Bletchley Park
- Origami
- Maths in different cultures
- Opportunities to further explore mathematical ideas with key exponents in the mathematics community
- Students will be encouraged to read extracts around mathematics
Knowledge and Skills
Year 7
Students will develop their KNOWLEDGE of:
- interpreting bar models to develop their understanding of proportionality
- making appropriate use of suitable models to represent and solve numerical problems including comparing measurements
- extending and developing understanding of our number system
- using the area model for long multiplication of integers and decimal numbers
- using ‘reallotting’ strategies to solve area problems of compound shapes.
- develop geometrical reasoning surrounding shape and space
- develop ways of representing an unknown
- explore co-ordinate geometry through big picture ideas linking algebra and graphs
Students will develop their SKILLS in:
- describing given diagrams, identifying key features. Where appropriate students make sense of a given situation by drawing diagrams
- identifying similarities and differences in situations presented and using these to provide examples of their own of a similar nature. Students are able to provide examples of, as well as, counter examples
- offering suggestions and beginning to ask ‘what if’ questions considering the affects that changing one aspect has on the rest of the situation. Students provide explanations for their reasoning
- beginning to consider if mathematical statements are sometimes/always/never true
- describing and interpreting graphs and given a context provide meaning
- accepting that being stuck is a vital aspect of mathematical development and beginning to simplify a given problem to attempt to make progress
- using mathematical language appropriately
Year 8
Students will develop their KNOWLEDGE of:
- being able to interpret ratio tables and using these as tools to solve numerical problems
- selecting appropriate models to represent and solve numerical problems including comparing measurements and operations with fractions
- using appropriate calculations including unitary method and begin to consider decimal and fractional multipliers in developing proportional reasoning
- using the number line effectively to order numbers written in different formats for example, indices and standard form
- using a combination of strategies to calculate the area of more complex shapes including non-rectilinear
- using the area model to expand single and double brackets and begin to reverse this process (leading to factorising) whilst further developing algebraic manipulation skills
- explore co-ordinate geometry through big picture ideas linking algebra and graphs
- developing statistical reasoning which begins to draw conclusions from data represented in varying ways
- further develop geometric reasoning through exploring shape and space including circle geometry
Students will develop their SKILLS in:
- building on the noticing skills developed, they make and test conjectures. Students successfully justify their conjectures and refine these with contributions from others
- regularly questioning peers’ contributions to the development of mathematical ideas
- being able to compare graphs and representations. Students use information given in graphical form to drive new information. Students appreciate links in graphical representation and are able to reverse problems (start with any aspect to complete others)
- considering what makes a given problem more demanding as well as how it can be simplified
Year 9
Students will develop their KNOWLEDGE of:
- using ratio tables to solve problems with fluency. Selecting appropriate strategies considering efficiency when using a calculator and not. Using multiplication and division by decimals and fractions with relative ease
- using the number line efficiently to order numbers written in different formats including index form, standard form and surd form
- using combination tables when solving linear simultaneous equations
- developing effective strategies to solve equations with unknown on both sides including those involving subtraction and fractional values of x
- using the area model effectively to factorise and expand single and double brackets
- using a combination of strategies to calculate area and surface area of complex shapes and compound shapes
- further explore co-ordinate geometry through big picture ideas linking algebra and graphs including, quadratics, cubics and simultaneous equations
- continue to develop statistical reasoning through probability
- exploring the unit circle as an introduction to Trigonometry
Students will develop their SKILLS in:
- appreciating that being stuck is a necessary step to learning mathematics and are developing strategies to make progress in these situations. They are able to simplify multi-step problems and appreciate the importance of identifying what they can work out in order to make some progress with a given task
- developing noticing and justification skills to actively make links in areas of mathematics and where appropriate outside the subject. They have an inquisitive approach to mathematics and are not satisfied with reaching a solution. They regularly ask themselves questions like ‘how can the problem made easier/harder’, ‘what changes if we change …’, what happens if …’, ‘is this always/sometimes/never true’
- appreciating links in graphical representation and are able to reverse problems (start with any aspect to complete others) – in particular looking at the graph of quadratics
- using mathematical language appropriately
- beginning to distinguish between examples and mathematical proof
- using construction equipment with relative ease