Mathematics

Head of Faculty

Mr Daniel stepton

Vision

We strive to develop problem-solving students with the resilience to tackle questions by applying their relevant knowledge.

Disciplinary Concepts

• Number
• Ratio and proportion
• Algebra
• Probability
• Statistics
• Geometry

Big Questions

Why do we use algebra?

What is the use of “Pythagoras”? (any topic studied other than numeracy)

What is a negative number?

What is a complex number?

Curriculum Content

Years 7 -11

Number

Pupils should be taught to:

o   understand and use place value for decimals, measures and integers of any size

o   order positive and negative integers, decimals and fractions; use the number line as a model for ordering of the real numbers; use the symbols =, ≠, <, >, ≤, ≥

o   use the concepts and vocabulary of prime numbers, factors (or divisors), multiples, common factors, common multiples, highest common factor, lowest common multiple, prime factorisation, including using product notation and the unique factorisation property

o   use the four operations, including formal written methods, applied to integers, decimals, proper and improper fractions, and mixed numbers, all both positive and negative

o   use conventional notation for the priority of operations, including brackets, powers, roots and reciprocals

o   recognise and use relationships between operations including inverse operations

o   use integer powers and associated real roots (square, cube and higher), recognise powers of 2, 3, 4, 5 and distinguish between exact representations of roots and their decimal approximations

o   interpret and compare numbers in standard form A x 10n 1≤A<10, where n is a positive or negative integer or zero

o   work interchangeably with terminating decimals and their corresponding fractions

o   define percentage as ‘number of parts per hundred’, interpret percentages and percentage changes as a fraction or a decimal, interpret these multiplicatively, express one quantity as a percentage of another, compare two quantities using percentages, and work with percentages greater than 100%

o   use standard units of mass, length, time, money and other measures, including with decimal quantities

o   round numbers and measures to an appropriate degree of accuracy [for example, to a number of decimal places or significant figures]

o   use approximation through rounding to estimate answers and calculate possible resulting errors expressed using inequality notation a<x≤b

o   use a calculator and other technologies to calculate results accurately and then interpret them appropriately

o   appreciate the infinite nature of the sets of integers, real and rational numbers.

Algebra

Pupils should be taught to:

o   use and interpret algebraic notation

o   substitute numerical values into formulae and expressions, including scientific formulae

o   understand and use the concepts and vocabulary of expressions, equations, inequalities, terms and factors

o   simplify and manipulate algebraic expressions to maintain equivalence by:

o   understand and use standard mathematical formulae; rearrange formulae to change the subject

o   model situations or procedures by translating them into algebraic expressions or formulae and by using graphs

o   use algebraic methods to solve linear equations in one variable (including all forms that require rearrangement)

o   work with coordinates in all four quadrants

o   recognise, sketch and produce graphs of linear and quadratic functions of one variable with appropriate scaling, using equations in x and y and the Cartesian plane

o   interpret mathematical relationships both algebraically and graphically

o   reduce a given linear equation in two variables to the standard form y = mx + c; calculate and interpret gradients and intercepts of graphs of such linear equations numerically, graphically and algebraically

o   use linear and quadratic graphs to estimate values of y for given values of x and vice versa and to find approximate solutions of simultaneous linear equations

o   find approximate solutions to contextual problems from given graphs of a variety of functions, including piece-wise linear, exponential and reciprocal graphs

o   generate terms of a sequence from either a term-to-term or a position-to-term rule

o   recognise arithmetic sequences and find the nth term

o   recognise geometric sequences and appreciate other sequences that arise.

Ratio, proportion and rates of change

Pupils should be taught to:

o   change freely between related standard units [for example time, length, area, volume/capacity, mass]

o   use scale factors, scale diagrams and maps

o   express one quantity as a fraction of another, where the fraction is less than 1 and greater than 1

o   use ratio notation, including reduction to simplest form

o   divide a given quantity into two parts in a given part:part or part:whole ratio; express the division of a quantity into two parts as a ratio

o   understand that a multiplicative relationship between two quantities can be expressed as a ratio or a fraction

o   relate the language of ratios and the associated calculations to the arithmetic of fractions and to linear functions

o   solve problems involving percentage change, including: percentage increase, decrease and original value problems and simple interest in financial mathematics

o   solve problems involving direct and inverse proportion, including graphical and algebraic representations

o   use compound units such as speed, unit pricing and density to solve problems.

Geometry and measures

Pupils should be taught to:

o   derive and apply formulae to calculate and solve problems involving: perimeter and area of triangles, parallelograms, trapezia, volume of cuboids (including cubes) and other prisms (including cylinders)

o   calculate and solve problems involving: perimeters of 2-D shapes (including circles), areas of circles and composite shapes

o   draw and measure line segments and angles in geometric figures, including interpreting scale drawings

o   derive and use the standard ruler and compass constructions (perpendicular bisector of a line segment, constructing a perpendicular to a given line from/at a given point, bisecting a given angle); recognise and use the perpendicular distance from a point to a line as the shortest distance to the line

o   describe, sketch and draw using conventional terms and notations: points, lines, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, right angles, regular polygons, and other polygons that are reflectively and rotationally symmetric

o   use the standard conventions for labelling the sides and angles of triangle ABC, and know and use the criteria for congruence of triangles

o   derive and illustrate properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, and other plane figures [for example, equal lengths and angles] using appropriate language and technologies

o   identify properties of, and describe the results of, translations, rotations and reflections applied to given figures

o   identify and construct congruent triangles, and construct similar shapes by enlargement, with and without coordinate grids

o   apply the properties of angles at a point, angles at a point on a straight line, vertically opposite angles

o   understand and use the relationship between parallel lines and alternate and corresponding angles

o   derive and use the sum of angles in a triangle and use it to deduce the angle sum in any polygon, and to derive properties of regular polygons

o   apply angle facts, triangle congruence, similarity and properties of quadrilaterals to derive results about angles and sides, including Pythagoras’ Theorem, and use known results to obtain simple proofs

o   use Pythagoras’ Theorem and trigonometric ratios in similar triangles to solve problems involving right-angled triangles

o   use the properties of faces, surfaces, edges and vertices of cubes, cuboids, prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones and spheres to solve problems in 3-D

o   interpret mathematical relationships both algebraically and geometrically.

Probability

Pupils should be taught to:

o   record, describe and analyse the frequency of outcomes of simple probability experiments involving randomness, fairness, equally and unequally likely outcomes, using appropriate language and the 0-1 probability scale

o   understand that the probabilities of all possible outcomes sum to 1

o   enumerate sets and unions/intersections of sets systematically, using tables, grids and Venn diagrams

o   generate theoretical sample spaces for single and combined events with equally likely, mutually exclusive outcomes and use these to calculate theoretical probabilities.

Statistics

Pupils should be taught to:

o   describe, interpret and compare observed distributions of a single variable through: appropriate graphical representation involving discrete, continuous and grouped data; and appropriate measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median) and spread (range, consideration of outliers)

o   construct and interpret appropriate tables, charts, and diagrams, including frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts, and pictograms for categorical data, and vertical line (or bar) charts for ungrouped and grouped numerical data

o   describe simple mathematical relationships between two variables (bivariate data) in observational and experimental contexts and illustrate using scatter graphs.

Year 12 and 13 A Level Mathematics

Pure

Proof

Algebra and functions

Coordinate geometry in the (x, y) plane

Sequences and series

Trigonometry

Exponentials and logarithms

Differentiation

Integration

Numerical methods

Vectors

Applied

Statistics

Statistical sampling

Data presentation and interpretation

Statistical distributions

Statistical hypothesis testing

Probability

Mechanics

Quantities and units in mechanics

Kinematics

Forces and Newton’s laws

Moments

Year 12 and 13 A Level Further Mathematics

Pure

Proof

Complex Numbers

Matrices

Further algebra and functions

Further calculus

Further vectors

Polar coordinates

Hyperbolic functions

Differential equations

Applied

Statistics

Discrete probability distributions

Poisson and binomial distributions

Geometric and negative binomial distributions

Hypothesis testing

Central limit theorem

Chi squared tests

Probability generating functions

Quality of tests

Mechanics

Momentum and impulse

Work, energy and power

Elastic strings and springs and elastic energy

Elastic collisions in one dimension

Elastic collisions in two dimensions

DECISION MATHEMATICS

Algorithms

Graphs and networks

Algorithms on graphs

Route inspection

Travelling salesman problem

Linear programming

Simplex algorithm

Critical path analysis

 

ASSESSMENT

Across all key stages the students will always have end of topic tests.

In Year 7, we give the students a Key Stage 2 assessment and use the quantitative data from the CATS tests administered by the school to set them after the first half term. 

The students are setted throughout Key Stages 3 and 4.

At Key Stage 3, we have full assessments twice a year and in order for a student to make progress from one assessment to the next their report, assessment needs to remain the same of be higher. For example, a student achieving a working above grade in assessment 1 and a working above grade in assessment 2 will have made progress to get that grade.

At Key Stage 4, we have half termly assessments all the way through Year 10 and the students sit their first mock at the end of Year 10. In Year 11, the second mock is sat in November and the final mock is in March before the final examination. 

At Key Stage 5, we also have mocks at the end of Year 12 followed by mocks in November and March of Year 13.

Enrichment

We offer our students the opportunity to sit GCSE Statistics and GCSE Further Maths alongside their GCSE in Maths at Key Stage 4. Many of our students are also entered for the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Maths challenges.