Intent of curriculum 

Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and within many sectors of employment. Our high-quality Mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of Mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.  

We believe that students deserve a creative and ambitious Mathematics curriculum, rich in skills and knowledge, which ignites curiosity and prepares them well for everyday life and future employment. Our Mathematics curriculum will give students the opportunity to:  

• become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics, through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately;  
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language;  
• can solve problems by applying their Mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and preserving in seeking solutions;  
• can communicate, justify, argue and prove using mathematical vocabulary;  
• develop their character, including resilience, confidence and independence, so that they contribute positively to the life of the school, their local community and the wider environment. 
• see connections between the Mathematics that they learn in school and how it might extend to outside the classroom. 

Implementation of curriculum 

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils learn to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. We believe strongly in teaching for understanding and mastery of the subject. The programme of study for key stage 3 is sequenced into, what may appear to be, distinct domains, but pupils build on key stage 2 and connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. The teaching for sound knowledge of key concepts then enables students to access the Key Stage 4 Scheme of Work. 

Teachers within the department have worked collaboratively on a curriculum map which meets the Key Stage 3 national curriculum. This has informed the Subject Knowledge & Understanding documents (SKUs) within the different years that contain an Intent/Implementation/Impact specifically for each term. As well as this the SKUs include key terminology that will be promoted in lessons to broaden the mathematical vocabulary for the students. 

Our Key Stage 4 scheme of work is structured in a similar way to Key Stage 3 however students will follow one of 2 routes on their learning journey. Route 1 is studied by GCSE foundation level students and Route 2 is aimed at higher level students. Both routes build on previously mastered topics where we retrieve, affirm and build on the knowledge and understanding as we progress through the curriculum. For example, when studying Pythagoras’ theorem in year 10 we need previous teaching from Number with an understanding of square numbers and square roots, from Algebra with the application of substitution and rearranging equations and from Geometry in the knowledge of the properties of shapes and specifically triangles. 

Students will finish their learning of new material during Year 11 and their classroom teacher will then focus on revising key gaps in knowledge as identified by the thorough question level analysis (QLA) of each student’s performance in the mock-examinations. This prepares them for success in their GCSE examination.  

Pupils in the Further Maths set will be given the opportunity to study elements of Further Maths and if appropriate will be entered for the Level 2 Further Maths qualification, this provides a solid basis for progressing onto A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics in KS5. 

Pupils also learn to apply their mathematical knowledge across other subjects, such as Science, Geography, Computing and other subjects. 

Impact of curriculum  

We are confident that through the content of the curriculum and the way in which it is delivered that pupils will; 

• become fluent in the fundamentals of Mathematics  
• be able to reason mathematically and solve problems by applying their mathematical knowledge to a variety of situations.  
• achieve age related expectations in Mathematics each year (most pupils).  
• understand and appreciate the position that Mathematics holds in everyday life.  
• develop progressively as they move through the school, not only to enable them to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum but to prepare them to become competent mathematicians in secondary education and beyond. 
• will be well prepared for their next stage of learning and will have a clear understanding of what they have been taught and where their learning will take them next.  
• will develop resilience through experiencing failure but realise being wrong can be part of the process to finding a solution.  
• will develop a love of Mathematics and a thirst for further learning through experiencing Mathematics within a positive culture. 

Impact will be measured in a number of ways; 

• Through reliable and accessible assessment. On-going assessment will occur through teacher monitoring of classwork, discussions with pupils and formal assessments. Outcomes of these will be analysed and discussed within the department and interventions and extra support set up where appropriate. Assessment outcomes will be compared to targets. Specific groups such as SEN & Disadvantaged will be closely monitored. 
• Lesson observations and work scrutiny. 
• Destination data at transition points – Key Stage 3 to GCSE, GCSE to A level and A level to University/work/training.