Mathematics
Head of Faculty (Mathematics, Computing, Business & Economics): Mr Miller
Second in Mathematics/KS4 Mathematics Co-ordinator: Mrs Rymill
KS3 Mathematics Co-ordinator: Ms Rush
Intent
Mathematics at St Bernard’s offers us an alternative perspective of God’s creation and the means to analyse and describe the wonders of the universe. Our department intent is that our students should be given the understanding, knowledge and skills which will enable them to share in that perspective commensurate with their God-given talents.
We believe in all of our St Bernard’s mathematicians and design our curriculum with the belief they will go on to use their mathematical skills to be successful and happy in adulthood. To equip our students to that end we will endeavour to develop them as life-long mathematical learners, who will become: independent, resilient and confident adults capable of thriving in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
Implementation
All St Bernard Year 7’s and Year 8’s have access to the same high quality curriculum in the belief that all students have the ability to succeed. In some areas of Key Stage 3 Mathematics, we are able to shape groups to have increased one to one support through the teacher and Learning Support Assistant in the classroom. Students in Years 7 and 8 study topics in the six content areas identified in the GCSE Mathematics specification: Number; Algebra; Ratio, proportion and rates of change; Geometry and measures; Probability; Statistics. This ensures a broad curriculum that prepares students for the GCSE Mathematics course. Studying topics within only one content area for an extended period of time (often a half term) gives students the opportunity to deepen their understanding, developing mathematics mastery
The curriculum for students in Years 9, 10 and 11 follows a different style, with topics from more than one of the content areas being taught each half term. This helps students to develop the skills to transfer their thinking from one area to another which is an essential skill in GCSE Mathematics. In Years 10 and 11, the scheme of work is a combination of new learning and revisiting and revising prior learning to ensure students have a strong understanding of prerequisite topics before extending their learning and to help prepare them for their GCSE examinations. For students aiming to achieve a Grade 8 or 9 at GCSE, we are able to offer an additional GCSE qualification in AQA GCSE Further Mathematics.
Every mathematics lesson at St Bernard’s will start with a retrieval task where students will have the opportunity to recall, practise and reflect on their learning in previous lessons and in previous years. The implementation of this is designed to ensure that students have the best possible chance of retaining their skills and understanding over the course of their school year. St Bernard’s students are exposed to mathematical comprehension tasks that explore “History in Maths” and “Career Opportunities” that explore famous mathematicians, cryptography and mathematics in sport. Mathematical Key Terms are front loaded at the beginning of the year and prompted at the beginning of the lesson to support students to communicate their understanding as an expert.
In the Sixth form at St Bernard’s, students have different options for their continued study for Mathematics. They can choose to extend their mathematical knowledge by studying A Level Mathematics and there is also the option to study AS Level Further Mathematics. Alternatively, students can follow the Core Mathematics course to achieve a Level 3 qualification. Whilst studying this course, students will learn to apply the mathematics they have learnt at GCSE level (as well as some new mathematics) in more real-life contexts. This course can also help to support students with the mathematical content in A Level courses such as Psychology and Biology.
At all key stages, lessons include:
Use of mini-whiteboards to help students develop their confidence, to allow the teacher to assess students’ understanding throughout the lesson and to promote discussion about different methods used
A variety of activities to engage students with different learning styles and to develop a variety of skills, including teamwork and ICT skills
Discussions on the application of various topics to real-life contexts
St Bernard’s students receive direct and fast feedback in every lesson from their teacher to help celebrate their successes and identify areas for improvement to help them make progress. More formal feedback is provided for the students through a “what went well” and “even better if” comment following each assessment. At all key stages, assessments take place once per half-term team and progress is monitored carefully and reported on Go4schools. Both Formative (Student/Peer Marked) Assessments and Summative (Teacher Marked) Assessments are designed in a style to help prepare students for formal examinations.
Impact
In St Bernard’s Mathematics Student Exercise Books (and Folders in Sixth Form), the impact of the curriculum is made clear through a Curriculum Map indicating what they will cover during the academic year. All students are made aware of their target grade on the front of their book or folder and there is an Assessment Criteria that supports students to understanding “how to achieve their target” in both Half-Termly Assessments and End of Year Assessments.
Through mathematical teaching at St Bernard’s, students will become confident and enthusiastic mathematicians with a positive attitude to the subject. They will have fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics and will be able to reason mathematically, applying their mathematical knowledge to a variety of situations, including real-life contexts. They will develop resilience when solving problems and when making mistakes, which they will appreciate can be part of finding the correct solution. As students progress through their mathematics education, they will develop their knowledge and skills, following a scheme of work which has been designed to ensure that at each stage, they are well-prepared for the next step of their learning.