Curriculum Intent - MathsIn mathematics we strive to develop fluent, independent problem solvers with a deep and sustained understanding of mathematical concepts. We aim to equip our students with strong analytical skills and the ability to think independently in order to approach the diverse requirements of society. They develop resilience through their approaches to problem solving which will be a vital trait for their future.
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Mathematics introduces children to concepts, skills and thinking strategies that are essential in everyday life and support learning across the curriculum. It helps children make sense of the numbers, patterns and shapes they see in the world around them, offers ways of handling data and makes a crucial contribution to their development as successful learners. As their confidence grows, they look for patterns, use logical reasoning, suggest solutions and try out different approaches to problems while developing their metacognition in order to analyse their own strategies and thinking.
Across the school, we drive progress through carefully planned lessons, individually tailored to each teaching group. The students are encouraged to actively learn in order to make the most of their learning opportunities and are worked with closely throughout lessons in order to support and challenge them. Misconceptions are addressed in the lessons and through regular marking of the books, with written feedback being given as modelling when needed. Diagrams and models are used as representations to deepen understanding and our use of manipulatives is being developed to work alongside this.
Assessment is carried out through marking and throughout lessons through close monitoring of the students. Students use whiteboards for their whole class work to enable teachers to pick up any issues. In KS2 end of term assessments are used to ensure that children are on track and to inform future planning. In KS3, end of term assessments are supplemented by end of topic assessments in order to identify any areas of weakness that need addressing.
Throughout both Key Stages topics are revisited across the years with consolidation and extension in order to ensure mathematical knowledge and skills are deep and sustained. Following the loss of school time due to Covid 19, areas of likely learning loss and those needed to ensure solid mathematical foundations (in line with the Ready to Progress documentation) have been added into each year group’s curriculum to ensure that the full curriculum is covered and is accessible to all. Memory and retention skills are actively practised in order to aid with this and the topics are interleaved to enable constant application of work already covered. The sequence and order of topics is carefully planned in order to best aid retention, with topics being taught in with the relevant skill rather than being stand-alone items. For example, finding the median and range is taught with ordering numbers and finding the mean is taught with division skills, rather than the conventional topic of mean, median, range and mode. Starters are used regularly for revision as well as to provide problem solving opportunities.
In KS2 students develop mathematical fluency and learn how to apply this to problem solving. The basic skills learnt throughout first school are embedded and built upon and students begin to extend their use of mathematical vocabulary in order to explain their thinking. The KS2 curriculum focuses heavily on numerical fluency with all four operations, fractions and decimals, with students learning how to use and apply these in different situations. Each topic teaches fluency of the topic alongside application of the skills to problem solving.
In KS3 students increase their ability to think mathematically and develop perseverance in the face of more challenging problems, communicating ideas using precise mathematical language and conventional notation. The KS3 mathematics curriculum focuses on retaining numerical fluency and developing algebraic fluency, with formal structures and methods being taught and rich mathematical vocabulary being encouraged.
Topics interleave throughout the curriculum in order to consolidate topics and aid retention. Number skills remain central to the curriculum and are practised regularly in recognition of the fact that difficulties with number fluency can result in cognitive overload when students attempt to learn new material at a later point, such as topics in geometry which rely heavily on numerical fluency. Students who already demonstrate a secure fluency or who grasp concepts rapidly, will be encouraged to apply their understanding to deeper and mathematically richer problems.
The maths departments in the Hexham Partnership have worked closely over the last few years to ensure consistency across the schools, whilst accepting that each school has its own character. The curriculum in Year 9 follows on from what is taught in Year 7 and 8 to finalise the students’ readiness for KS4.
Across the school, we drive progress through carefully planned lessons, individually tailored to each teaching group. The students are encouraged to actively learn in order to make the most of their learning opportunities and are worked with closely throughout lessons in order to support and challenge them. Misconceptions are addressed in the lessons and through regular marking of the books, with written feedback being given as modelling when needed. Diagrams and models are used as representations to deepen understanding and our use of manipulatives is being developed to work alongside this.
Assessment is carried out through marking and throughout lessons through close monitoring of the students. Students use whiteboards for their whole class work to enable teachers to pick up any issues. In KS2 end of term assessments are used to ensure that children are on track and to inform future planning. In KS3, end of term assessments are supplemented by end of topic assessments in order to identify any areas of weakness that need addressing.
Throughout both Key Stages topics are revisited across the years with consolidation and extension in order to ensure mathematical knowledge and skills are deep and sustained. Following the loss of school time due to Covid 19, areas of likely learning loss and those needed to ensure solid mathematical foundations (in line with the Ready to Progress documentation) have been added into each year group’s curriculum to ensure that the full curriculum is covered and is accessible to all. Memory and retention skills are actively practised in order to aid with this and the topics are interleaved to enable constant application of work already covered. The sequence and order of topics is carefully planned in order to best aid retention, with topics being taught in with the relevant skill rather than being stand-alone items. For example, finding the median and range is taught with ordering numbers and finding the mean is taught with division skills, rather than the conventional topic of mean, median, range and mode. Starters are used regularly for revision as well as to provide problem solving opportunities.
In KS2 students develop mathematical fluency and learn how to apply this to problem solving. The basic skills learnt throughout first school are embedded and built upon and students begin to extend their use of mathematical vocabulary in order to explain their thinking. The KS2 curriculum focuses heavily on numerical fluency with all four operations, fractions and decimals, with students learning how to use and apply these in different situations. Each topic teaches fluency of the topic alongside application of the skills to problem solving.
In KS3 students increase their ability to think mathematically and develop perseverance in the face of more challenging problems, communicating ideas using precise mathematical language and conventional notation. The KS3 mathematics curriculum focuses on retaining numerical fluency and developing algebraic fluency, with formal structures and methods being taught and rich mathematical vocabulary being encouraged.
Topics interleave throughout the curriculum in order to consolidate topics and aid retention. Number skills remain central to the curriculum and are practised regularly in recognition of the fact that difficulties with number fluency can result in cognitive overload when students attempt to learn new material at a later point, such as topics in geometry which rely heavily on numerical fluency. Students who already demonstrate a secure fluency or who grasp concepts rapidly, will be encouraged to apply their understanding to deeper and mathematically richer problems.
The maths departments in the Hexham Partnership have worked closely over the last few years to ensure consistency across the schools, whilst accepting that each school has its own character. The curriculum in Year 9 follows on from what is taught in Year 7 and 8 to finalise the students’ readiness for KS4.