Subject Overview
Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries. The Maths faculty at SSWL believe it is an essential discipline to everyday life, and critical to science, technology and engineering, as well as other capabilities in financial literacy and social subjects. Our vision is to deliver an authentic Maths education for the 21st century for children from the ages of 14 to 18. The aim is to ensure all pupils are inspired by a passion and resilience for learning maths to achieve high levels of academic success, with the confidence and skills required to contribute actively and successfully in today’s fast-growing and highly-competitive society.
The Maths curriculum should allow for:
- Deepening mathematical knowledge, skills and qualifications required for success
- The ability to develop a pupil’s mathematical instinct, strengthen their problem solving, critical thinking and logical reasoning skills
- Appreciate the power and beauty of mathematics in the world surrounding them
We provide a high standard of Maths through the implementation of the following:
- Teachers ensure that all prior knowledge are understood before building upon any new skills and topics in their lessons. The GCSE 9-1 grades are given explicitly to students for each topic, allowing them to meet or exceed their intended targets. At post-16, some GCSE topics may need refreshing before accessing the newer, and more difficult skills at A-level maths.
- Teachers consistently model solutions, and support student learning by encouraging them to continually practice applying these steps in their work. Teachers also allow time for self-reflection to embed the new knowledge in class.
- Teachers regularly use response marking, and question-by-question analysis from half-termly assessments to identify gaps. They provide constant feedback and discussions to address and ensure students improve these gaps. In some instances, teachers create intervention sessions that provide a more 1:1 session outside of class.
- Teachers create activities that introduce topics by researching and investigating driving questions into a real-world application whenever possible. Word problems and exam-style questions are also used to develop their problem-solving skills.
- Students are encouraged to develop their independent learning and ownership of becoming lifelong learners by accessing and completing their weekly tasks after every lesson. Teachers monitor that this work gets complete.
- Teachers encourage continuous learning through literacy and numeracy cross-curricular.
Years 10 & 11
Students follow the Edexcel GCSE (1MA1) syallabus. Students have two 2 hour lessons per week in Year 10 and an additional 1 hour lesson in Year 11.
There is the option for students to sit a GCSE in Statistics in Year 11. Students will be taught statistics in additional statistics lessons and will follow the Edexcel 1ST01 syllabus.
Students who are capable of sitting the GSCE exam early will be entered before Year 11 and then they will be placed onto an A’ Level Maths course.
Years 12 & 13
Students taking A’ Level Mathematics follow the Edexcel A Level (8MA0/9MA0) syllabus and those taking Further Maths follow the Edexcel (8FM0/9FM0) syllabus. Students have two 2 hour lessons and one 1 hour lesson per week and additional study periods.
Students sitting the GCSE Retake follow the Edexcel GCSE (1MA1) syallabus. Students have one 2 hour lessons per week and additional study periods.