Mathematics
Our Mathematics curriculum intent is to provide an engaging and stimulating curriculum where all students can thrive as problems-solvers, while appreciating the importance of numeracy and mathematics in our ever-evolving world.
The curriculum plan for all year groups can be downloaded from the bottom of the page.
Our adaptive curriculum allows us to meet the needs of all students irrespective of their social background, developmental and intellectual abilities, and capabilities.
It nurtures independent and critical thinking through evidenced-based teaching pedagogies, strategies and lesson support - such as direct instruction, dual coding, live marking and feedback, stretch and challenge, applied learning time, retrieval practice and interleaving.
We ensure our curriculum teaches and highlights skills that are transferrable to all careers and is relevant to personal challenges we will all encounter in life.
Within our department, we promote a growth mindset which enables our students to form logical conclusions, emphasise precision, and utilise their analytical skills. We encourage our students to be confident, ambitious, and resilient when solving problems, curious in their questioning and respectful with their feedback.
Our Maths curriculum is a vital part of providing all students with the Master Key to their futures.
For further information on the Maths curriculum please contact Director of Maths, Karl Grant k.grant@harrisdulwichboys.org.uk
Year 7
Year 7 is about gaining a full grasp of the foundation knowledge of mathematics, so that students have the building blocks they need for all mathematics topics up to Year 11. The curriculum is not burdensome, but helps students make the transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 and bridges any gaps they may have. Although students study basic algebra at primary school, for example, their knowledge level varies greatly, so we need to be ready to fill any gaps.
Although Year 7 is about covering the basics, it also gives students access to content that is slightly above the basics. They will use the number skills they have already gained to access higher order questions such as, for example, transferring number skills to fractions and properly learning the difference between negative and positive integers. Our curriculum is ‘spiral, which means any topic introduced in Year 7 will be reintroduced later on, when it will be taken to a more advanced level.
Year 8
In Year 8, students use the skills they have learned in Year 7 but apply these skills to higher order questions and different topics. For example, in Year 7 students learn about positive and negative integers, but in Year 8 we take this knowledge and apply it to algebra. This same knowledge is used to complete topics such as expanding brackets and factorising (learning now to multiply a number by a letter).
Year 8 students also apply the skills they have learned in Year 7 to more real-life contexts to solve basic real-life problems, such as using skills learnt from percentages to do financial mathematics related to utility bills and mortgages. This means learning becomes more contextual.
Year 9
In Year 9, we help students bridge the gap between Key Stage 3 and the Key Stage 4, which starts in Year 10. By now, most students will have a good grasp of Key Stage 3 skills but the gap between this and Key Stage 4 can be wide, so we need to make sure students are ready.
In Year 9 we introduce exam-style questions – not at GCSE level, but still more in-depth than questions they have tackled so far. In Years 7 and 8, questions are reasonably straightforward (step 1, step 2, solve) but in Year 9 questions have more ‘interleaving’ – ie questions that connect various topics rather than treat them separately. So, for example, students have already learned how to calculate the area of a rectangle and about fractions, but in Year 9 they will be given one question that requires them to calculate the area using fractions. These more complex questions prepare them for the GCSE syllabus.
Year 10
In Year 10 students start their GCSE curriculum, but our emphasis is not solely on grades. We make sure students understand how mathematics will be essential whatever career path they might follow in future. In Year 10, students will be thinking about what professions they might want to follow, so we make sure students know the transferrable skills of mathematics will be useful to them whatever they do in their lives.
In Year 10, more in-depth questioning is introduced, such as on Pythagoras’ Theorem, but still with a real-life application. There is a much greater emphasis on accuracy, so that students understand how the level of accuracy they achieve relates to the mark they will obtain.
Year 11
Year 11 is about enabling students to get the exam results that will give them the Master Key for the future. Mathematics is essential for all careers and in Year 11 we have intervention programmes to make sure every student receives the best possible outcome. Most of the topics taught in Years 7-10 will be repeated, but to a higher degree. We have no minimum standard we expect students to achieve but aim for the maximum in all cases, because we know Year 11 will create the pathway for their future.
Students also tackle questions that are more abstract (ie they may not seem to relate to real-life situations), the aim of which is to improve their cognitive and problem-solving skills. This also gives students insight into whether they want to pursue Maths at Key Stage 5.
Years 12-13
At HBAED Sixth Form, mathematics starts with a celebration of students’ successes before embarking on a more specialised pathway which will help students shape their future.
Mathematics A-Level is one of the most popular choices at A-Level and this is a testament to the versatility of this subject. Employers and universities know that the skills learned and honed during A-Level mathematics are applicable to all situations. Our students are guided and supported to build resilience and develop independent study habits that bridge the gap between school and university or employment.
HBAED’s A-Level Mathematics programme is made up of pure, statistics and mechanics content which is tested in an exam at the end of the two-year course. This content is a combination of developing ideas and skills learnt at GCSE and introducing new concepts. We have specialist teachers who mentor students to help them achieve success which will take them into their adult life.
A-Level Mathematics is included in many university course requirements and support is given to students during the application process from both the Sixth Form staff and the specialist mathematics teachers.
Homework
Pupils receive maths homework on Sparx Maths and either an additional curriculum-led piece, which could also be an online task from Sparx or a written task that the pupils are required to do in their books.
A video introduction to Sparx Maths
Extra-curricular maths
The mathematics experience of our students at HBAED goes beyond the teaching and learning that takes place in the classroom. Extra-curricular activities carried out through the Maths Club, quiz competitions and trips are used to supplement excellent classroom practices while aiding the development of positive relations amongst students as well as students and staff.
Our Maths Club stimulates the curiosity our students by linking knowledge from the class curriculum to real-life practices and careers linked to maths. To improve motor skills and exposure to careers such as architecture, students use tessellations to make models of real-life objects such as a football and other prisms. Financial mathematics such as budgeting and making sustainable spending choices are done in the form of activities that improve confidence and the ambition of our students.
In addition to our Maths Club, we have Key Stage 3 quiz competitions focusing on numeracy as well as ‘Literacy in Mathematics’ to promote the literacy development of our students. Pi Day is an activity-rich day where students are immersed in maths activities including presentations about influential mathematicians and the important role women have played in mathematics.
Finally, trips play an integral role in providing students with possible pathways after GCSE and A levels. Students visit corporate offices such as Salesforce Tower to observer what the working world is like as well as to receive career advice from the professionals present.
Gallery of students' work
Maths marking feeding
Excellent presentation of work
Teacher-student dialogue using 'live marking'
Helpful resources
Click HERE to see past papers and further revision resources for Maths and other subjects.
It is vital for you to prepare for the upcoming maths assessments as best as possible and work effectively outside of lessons. The best way of doing this is to go through the past papers that have been given in class and work through the questions you got wrong. Aim to answer 3-5 more questions each time you go through the paper. Below are the three steps to take when revising.
1) Pinpoint booklet (https://www.pinpointlearning.co.uk/). This individual maths matrix button shows you the topics where you need to focus on (red topics). If you hover over the topic, you will get the exact question to practice and the markscheme for it. The login details are on each Pinpoint booklet you have received. On the left of the topic list it shows you the Hegarty Maths clip for that particular topic for video guidance and help on it. You can also access your personalised revision booklet and the solutions from this website.
2) Sparx Maths (https://sparxmaths.com/)
3) Corbett Maths (https://corbettmaths.com/contents/). This website contains past paper questions and worked solutions for every topic. This is the place to go for more practice questions on whichever topic you are practising. The website is free to use and no log in is required.
Further to the above, you have also received a revision guide at the start of the year which its packed with concise, friendly explanations of every topic, explained with plenty of step-by-step examples. Grade information of 1 to 9 is also included to show the difficulty level of each topic, and there are exam style questions at the back of the page to test you on the important skills. This guide also contains two extra practice papers to help you.
If you need more guidance please email your teacher and they will respond with more resources.
Please make sure when revising that you have the following: pen, pencil, ruler, protractor, compass and calculator for your upcoming maths assessments.
A Level
All resources for A Level Maths can be found on https://integralmaths.org/. Pupils have their individual logins and can contact Mr Grant if they have forgotten them.
Integral Maths contains lessons, quizzes and most usefully topic exercises with fully worked solutions. Pupils should ensure they complete the level 1 and level 2 exercises for each topic and then look at the worked solutions for help. Level 3 exercises should be attempted as a Stretch & Challenge activity.
Useful Maths revision websites
http://pinpointlearning.co.uk/
https://corbettmaths.com/contents/
See our exam preparation page for information about helpful revision guides and timetables, as well as details of additional interventions for each subject.
Other helpful links
https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/mathematics-a-2010.html
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/gcse/mathematics-8300
Careers
Maths is a crucial subject and significantly increases a student’s employability later in life by showing the problem solving and analytical skills that employers value so highly.
Students who do well in maths are given fantastic opportunities to pursue a number of careers. Some examples are listed below:
-
Professions (engineering, banking, accountancy, insurance)
-
Public sector (administration, civil service, health service, local government, police, armed forces)
-
Teaching (schools, colleges, universities, teaching English aboard)
Maths is also a subject which can be taken to a high academic level with students studying MAs and PhDs.
