CURRICULUM
We teach a three-year Key Stage 3 curriculum that builds upon the Mathematics knowledge and skills that students have gained during their earlier years.
This ensures that the KS3 National Curriculum programme of study for Mathematics is covered broadly and in depth. This provides the necessary time to enrich the learning of students as they have the time and capacity to gain new knowledge and develop skills of mathematical enquiry. Every student will have the opportunity to become a confident mathematician, capable of problem solving and using maths in the real world.
We have a duty to deliver an outstanding Mathematics education to the young people in our care. Through the delivery of the Mathematics curriculum all of our students will experience a supportive and encouraging environment to allow them to achieve to the best of their ability, with support and guidance. Which will enable students to gain mathematics as a valuable life skill.
Students will begin the Key Stage 4 course in Year 10 and will follow Pearsons’ Edexcel GCSE Mathematics. The curriculum in Year 10 and 11 will continue to build upon the strong foundations developed during Key Stage 3 and students will be well equipped to excel in the required material of the course.
Our Aims
The Key Stage 3 Mathematics Curriculum aims for students to:
- Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
- Can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and nonroutine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions
How is Mathematics delivered?
Our Key Stage 3 Curriculum is organised into distinctive domains in Mathematics across Years 7, 8 and 9.
Year 7: Numeracy in Year 7 is delivered through the Literacy for Life curriculum. Students receive 2 hours per week dedicated to their development in numeracy, in ability groups, with additional topics touched upon through the Literacy for Life themes where appropriate.
Year 8: Students receive 2 hours of discreet mathematics teaching per week in ability groups (bands – a,b,c). Additional topics and skills are integrated within the Literacy for Life themes where appropriate.
Year 9: Students receive 4 hours of discreet mathematics teaching per week in ability groups (bands – a,b,c,d).
Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which students need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. Students still need to build on prior knowledge and connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.
Year 7 (2 hours per week) | Year 8 (2 hours per week) | Year 9 (4 hours per week) |
Number Algebra Ratio & Proportion Geometry & measures | Number Algebra Ratio & Proportion Geometry & measures Statistics | Number Algebra Ratio & Proportion Geometry & measures Statistics Probability |
Assessment in Mathematics
Assessment in Year 7 and Year 8
- 2 large exams per year (1 calculator, 1 non calculator) (Dec and June/July)
- 2 GL assessments
- 3 Mathswatch end of full term content tests (to occur at the end of each term, covering all topics covered within that term) – these will be automatically marked
Assessment in Year 9
- 3 large exams per year (Dec and June/July) (3 papers 2 calculator, 1 non calculator) These will be based upon GCSE Foundation past papers.
- 2 GL Assessments
- End of Half term content tests – this will be marked by the teacher & feedback provided
