Maths

Mathematics at Wade Deacon High School is delivered by a team of hard working, determined and passionate professionals who strive to develop not just students’ mathematical abilities but enjoyment of the subject. The mathematics department intend to develop the full potential and enhance the life chances of every student in our subject, catering for the needs of all individuals. It is our mission to ensure that every student experiences success and enjoyment in the subject, whether it be equipping them with sufficient mathematical skills for everyday life or providing them with a firm foundation for those wishing to pursue mathematics beyond secondary school.

We aspire for all our students to be effective mathematicians, providing them with the skills needed to solve problems and approach tasks in a logical order. The mathematics department encourage all pupils to have a growth mind-set and aim to build resilience and acceptance that struggle is often a necessary step in learning and solving problems. We hope that we can open our students’ eyes to the creative, imaginative and inspiring world of mathematics, equipping them to be numerate in multiple settings across society and able to flourish in a variety of fields.

Curriculum Aims

Through our curriculum we will help students to realise that mathematics is essential to everyday life; critical to science, technology and engineering; necessary for financial literacy and important in most forms of employment. As our students progress, we aim to ensure that they can reason mathematically, develop fluency in fundamental numeracy, solve increasingly complex problems and learn from their mistakes along the way.

Curriculum Overview

All students will be taught a range of topics from the six key areas of mathematics:

-       Algebra

-       Number

-       Ratio and Proportion

-       Geometry and Measures

-       Statistics

-       Probability

The Mathematics department implements this through the delivery of a high quality curriculum based on a 5 year progression model. The scheme of work is developed collaboratively so that consistently high quality lessons are delivered by all teachers across the department. The scheme of work has a balance of non-negotiables within, so that students have a common experience in maths and are challenged in line with their individual starting points. Rich mathematical experiences are used so that students experience a variety of increasingly challenging problems in a variety of contexts. Through mathematics lessons and specifically designed activities, students are given the opportunity to develop fluency in performing key mathematical skills so they become second nature. Students are given opportunities to think logically and flexibly to develop sound mathematical arguments. Students’ ability to solve problems is nurtured during lessons through exposure to a variety of strategies and modelling of good practice. Assessment is used a vehicle for students to reflect on their progress and identify areas that require further development.

At the end of their mathematical education at Wade Deacon, we expect students to:

• Understand the mathematics likely to be encountered in daily life
• Have the confidence to perform basic numeracy skills
• Perform mathematical skills needed for entry to higher or further mathematical education or in their chosen career
• Reason clearly and logically, and set out rational mathematical arguments
• Identify patterns encountered in diverse situations and make inferences from these
• Approach problems systematically and chose appropriate techniques for their solution
• Experience satisfaction in and enjoyment of mathematical experiences and achievements
• Develop fluency in performing key mathematical skills so they become second nature
• Solve problems in a diverse range of situations

GCSE Assessments

• There are two tiers of entry for mathematics; foundation or higher.

-       Foundation tier: grades 1 to 5

-       Higher tier: grades 4 to 9

• The qualification consists of three equally-weighted written examination papers
• Paper 1 is a non-calculator assessment and a calculator is allowed for Paper 2 and Paper 3.
• Each paper is 1 hour and 30 minutes long.
• Each paper has 80 marks.

Hegarty Maths – www.hegartymaths.com

We use Hegarty maths, this is an excellent home learning maths programme to support maths revision and homework. The system aims to; motivate students, engage with parents and to improve attainment in maths for every student.

The programme helps parents and carers to understand the concepts taught in school.

The system teaches via short videos followed by online assessments which are monitored and tracked by your child’s maths teacher.

Children in years 10 and 11 will receive one homework a week from the Hegarty Maths platform or every fortnight if they are in years 7, 8 and 9. Each homework can take up to one hour to complete properly. Your child may complete more work should they wish. The Hegarty Maths homework will consist of two parts main parts:

1. Watching the online video and taking detailed notes in the back of their class book or in their Hegarty maths books.
2. Completing quiz/assessment that follows the video showing full working in their books.

A key element of this programme is that it is self - assessed which encourages students to take responsibility for their learning, identify areas to develop and to make corrections. This will establish effective habits and help to develop greater confidence with mathematical concepts.

We believe this system has the potential to make a positive difference to all of our students and we really value your support.

Useful Websites and Resources

Hegarty Maths – www.hegartymaths.com

Just Maths – www.justmaths.co.uk

Corbett Maths – www.corbettmaths.com

Access Maths – www.accessmaths.co.uk

Dr Frost – www.drfrostmaths.com

Instagram - @wadedeaconmaths

Twitter - @wadedeaconmaths

We advise students to use and get to know their own calculator. We recommend the Casio fx-83GTX.