Mathematics

Overview
The Mathematics department has 5 full-time and 3 part-time members of staff. Our accommodation comprises 6 purpose built classrooms all containing SMARTboards with moveable whiteboards that are either side of the IWB. Each classroom has access to the internet. In addition there is a smaller classroom which is used primarily for sixth form tutorials and private study. The department is continually bringing more resources onto the school’s Virtual Learning Environment with Fronter being the learning platform. We subscribe to www.mymaths.co.uk and www.mathsnetalevel.com, and use Autograph and Geometer’s Sketchpad.

	Key Stage 3 During Year 7 pupils are taught in tutor groups. For Years 8 and 9 the year group is split in half with 3 sets in each half. Each year group is formally examined generally every six weeks to enable the department to track their progress. Pupils in Years 7 & 8 use the “Collins GCSE Maths 2 tier – Foundation” textbook (Edexcel). In Year 9 they move onto the equivalent Higher Tier textbook. For all three year groups the textbooks remain in school. Pupils are issued with a HW book containing a CD-rom, the contents of which are an electronic version of the textbook.
Key Stage 4 Students follow the Edexcel Linear GCSE syllabus. At Key Stage 4 the department operates 6 sets. All pupils sit the Higher Tier paper. The main text for Key Stage 4 is “Collins GCSE Maths 2 tier – Higher for Edexcel”. For both year groups the textbooks remain in school. Pupils are issued with a HW book containing a CD-rom, the contents of which are an electronic version of the textbook. The top set in Year 11 also study the content of the OCR Free Standing Mathematics Qualification in Additional Mathematics. Not all students in the top set go on to take the exam but they do find that much of the content covered helps them in their A* topics at GCSE.

Key Stage 5
The department currently follows the OCR Syllabus for A Level, AS Level and Further Mathematics. Those who are not Further Mathematicians sit Core 1, Core 2 and one of Mechanics 1 or Statistics 1 in the Lower Sixth. In the Upper Sixth they sit Core 3, Core 4 and Mechanics 1 or Statistics 1 (depending upon whether it was sat in the Lower Sixth). The Further Mathematicians sit Core 1, Statistics 1 and Mechanics 1 in the January of the Lower Sixth. In the Summer of the Lower Sixth they sit Core 2, Core 3, Further Pure 1 and Decision 1. In the Upper Sixth, depending upon their specialisation, the Further Mathematicians sit the Core 4, Statistics 2 and Mechanics 2 Modules in the January with their final 2 modules being taken in the Summer. There are four AS classes in the Lower Sixth and four A2 classes in the Upper Sixth, with an additional Further Mathematics class in each of the Lower 6th and Upper 6th.