Our aim in the Mathematics Curriculum Area is to show students the enjoyment and intellectual stimulation to be gained from the study of mathematics and to give students the skills they will need in the world of work, leisure and higher education.
The scheme of work that we use is based on activities that are designed to allow students to develop the confidence they need to tackle practical tasks, to solve real-life problems, and to investigate within mathematics itself. The emphasis throughout is on students making the maximum effort they can to understand new ideas, to communicate them and to work independently. The Activities are linked to the National Curriculum and students are regularly tested at the appropriate level.
To encourage a sense of competition, we enter around 20 students from each of Years 7-11 for the UK National Mathematics Challenge with regular successes at gold, silver and bronze levels. A Statistics Course is used to encourage an understanding of social and economic issues, as well as providing opportunities for using Information Technology. A large number of students are entered for the GCSE Statistics examination in Year 9 in addition to their GCSE Mathematics in Year 11.
