Maths
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Head of Department: Miss J Gipson
The Mathematics School of Learning has 13 teachers. The department is based across two accommodation blocks which means that resources can be easily distributed and shared amongst staff.
Within the department, we also run a ‘drop-in’ session, where any student can come and get support with either their classwork or homework, every lunchtime in Ma17. These sessions are run by teaching assistants alongside members of the department. In addition, we run support sessions after school for selected students, gifted and talented sessions for our most able mathematicians and revision sessions every Thursday after school for our Year 11 and resit students studying for their Maths GCSE.
The department schemes of work are designed to engage students and encourage both breadth and depth of knowledge. Students study content that is in line with their ability, which enables us to support students who are struggling whilst challenging the ablest. All students are registered with the https://vle.mathswatch.co.uk/vle/website where they complete the online homework materials and access online lessons and videos.
Every maths classroom has a Numeracy trolley, which is equipped with ‘easy to grab’ resources for mental warm-ups and plenaries. Each area within the department also has a box containing additional resources such as geometric shapes, multi-link cubes and Cuisenaire rods.
The department has 10 classrooms all fitted with interactive whiteboards and over 40 laptops available to all students.
Teaching Staff
- Miss J Gipson - Head of Department
- Mrs Claughton
- Mr Craske
- Mrs Golding
- Mr Green
- Mrs Hoare
- Mrs Matigh
- Mrs Okorie
- Mrs Rivers
- Miss Scott
- Mr Sykes
Maths Clubs and Trips
- Maths club every lunchtime in Ma17
- Pi Day – 14th March
- Decimal Day – 10th October
- Canterbury Christ Church University PGCE Training Workshops
- Cross-Curricular Links
- Trips to Kent University
- Presentations/Talks by external providers (including the Further Maths Support Programme)
- Gifted and Talented Workshops
- Peer Maths Mentoring
- Origami Club
- Weekly Revision Sessions
- UKMT Maths Challenge participation
What do our children study?
GCSE
Following recent changes to the GCSE Students will be assessed through 3 examination papers. There will be two calculator examinations and one non-calculator. Each paper is 1hour 30minutes long. There are still two tiers of entry but the grades are now numerical: Foundation (Grade 1-5) and Higher (Grades 4-9). All students will sit the OCR GCSE maths paper. As Maths is a core subject it is still the expectation that all students will complete the programme in year 11.
A-Level
Students who have successfully completed the Higher Level GCSE and have obtained a Grade 7 or higher are in a strong position to begin the A-Level course. It is important that all students wishing to study an A-Level in Mathematics have a genuine enthusiasm for the subject and are willing to work hard.
All students will sit the OCR A-Level Maths exams at the end of a two-year programme of study. The A level mathematics qualification offers a three-paper model with defined content and calculator usage allowed in all three papers. The 3 papers are Pure Mathematics, Pure Mathematics and Statistics and Pure Mathematics and Mechanics. Pure Mathematics is the study of the underlying elements of algebra and geometry.
It replaces the previous modules of Core 1,2,3 and 4. Applied Mathematics comprises of Statistics and Mechanics. Statistics is the study and analysis of data and information. It builds on the data handling topics studied at GCSE and holds strong links with Psychology and Economics. Mechanics is the study of forces, energy and motion. It is useful to study alongside A-Level Physics and provides a good foundation for studying engineering subjects at university level.
The whole course is designed to make the subject interesting and relevant. Good use will be made of graphical calculators, computers and practical work where appropriate. The course is supported by a series of student tests which contain activities which can be studied independently by the student as well as with the help of a teacher. An A-Level in Mathematics is a valuable qualification and is always highly regarded. The subject offers a very appropriate background for many future careers and studies.
2024 Summer Work for Year 9
Next year is the step-up to GCSE Mathematics. Over the last 3 years we been equipping the students with the skills and knowledge they will require to access the GCSE Mathematics. As they enter Year 10 they will begin to encounter new areas of Maths that they have not seen before. Some of the topics that are covered are number, ratio and proportion, geometry and measures, algebra, probability and statistics. We follow the OCR GCSE Specification for Maths. As two out of three of the examined papers are calculator papers, it is important that students bring their calculator to every lesson, so they are familiar with its buttons and how It works as all calculators can vary slightly. The one we recommend is the Casio FX-83 (or 85) GT-CW.
In preparation for starting Maths GCSE next year, we have produced a booklet, which includes some of the skills students will require. Each section includes some notes, recall questions and what an equivalent GCSE question may look like. We have included a copy attached to this email – plus the answers.
The Maths department looks forward to working with you to support the students over the next 2 years.
2024 Summer Work for Year 10
As we get to the end of the Summer term, it is good to reflect and take stock on the progress Year 10 students have made this year. This year has seen students really stepping up in Maths and working on some challenging topics. The after-school provision on Thursdays will continue to take place next year as they begin their final year in GCSE Mathematics. All students are welcome to attend.
From staff feedback and examination results it has been evident that those students who are working independently outside of lesson on their Maths, either via homework or revision have made greater steps in their progress. We also know how much can go missing from the brains of students over the summer break. To help students recap and continue to build on the successes from this year, we have produced a Year 10 Summer Maths Pack. There are 2 levels, Foundation and Higher, covering all the topics that have been taught this year. There is also a Y10 topic checklist and each unit includes some notes plus some exam questions. These have been shared with you, so you can support your child in the completion of this, with a copy of the answers.
Students have been given their gap analysis sheet from their curriculum paper to help guide them in identifying their gaps in knowledge, and areas to improve over the summer. We do recommend that students studying Higher topics - also look through the Foundation booklet – as those topics can occur in either papers.
Also looking forward to Year 11 and beyond, we have the opportunity to run Further Maths at Level 2. It will be one lunchtime a week and builds on some of the topics already taught at GCSE and also introduce students to some of the areas in A-Level Mathematics. If students wish to continue studying Maths into Sixth form – then we would highly recommend attendance at these lunchtime sessions. Students can then choose in February if they wish to take exams in the subject and gain a certificate in Further Maths – or are just happy in the preparation for A-Level Maths. There will be more details of this in September.
Thank you for all your support this year and look forward to working with you to support the students next year.