Maths
“Without mathematics, there's nothing you can do. Everything around you is mathematics. Everything around you is numbers.”
Shakuntala Devi
Vision
All students show curiosity and enthusiasm for the subject and have high aspirations by experiencing mathematics which requires them to think, to discover and to evaluate.
Provide a stimulating curriculum that enables students to learn the key fundamentals of mathematics by exploring through manipulatives, develop a deeper understanding and apply knowledge to unfamiliar problems.
Equip students with the skills required to fully achieve their potential both in school and their life beyond.
What you can expect studying Maths at Tarporley High School and Sixth Form College
It is the aim of the Mathematics faculty that our students gain enjoyment, challenge and success from their work in Mathematics. You will be taught by subject specialists who themselves have a love for mathematics and will bring this enthusiasm into lessons and nurture and encourage students’ enthusiasm in turn.
We look to build on their existing knowledge with lessons placing an emphasis on developing a deeper understanding of key concepts and ensuring that students have mastered some of the principle ideas which they will build upon in the future. Lessons will focus not only on learning new concepts, but on the importance of independent thinking, overcoming challenges and being able to use existing knowledge to solve unfamiliar problems by linking different areas of mathematics.
Key Stage 4 – GCSE Curriculum
At GCSE we follow the Edexcel GCSE Mathematics course. Students will build upon knowledge and skills gained from KS3, as well as learning new concepts and ideas to develop their thinking further. The course can be split into 5 main categories: Number, Ratio and Proportion, Statistics & Probability, Algebra and Geometry & Measures. Each of these categories will appear on each paper, and there will be several questions which will link between two or more of these categories. For that reason, we place a strong emphasis on students’ problem-solving skills, where they become competent with tackling problems in unfamiliar contexts.
Learners will develop confidence and a positive attitude towards Mathematics and recognise the importance of Mathematics in their own lives and to society. Students should be able to make informed decisions about the use of technology, the management of money, further learning opportunities and career choices.
How we assess at KS4
Students will sit three question papers at the same tier at the end of Year 11 for their GCSE Examination. Each paper is 1hr 30mins long and worth 1/3 of the final mark. Students are permitted to use calculators in two out of the three maths papers, so they are expected to have their own calculator in all maths lessons. Students need their own calculator so that they become familiar and confident with using it.
Similar to the structure at KS3, students are regularly assessed throughout KS4 through the use of maths assessment points and homework tasks. The assessments occur on a half termly basis and each one aims to assess the knowledge and understanding students have gained up to that point. This allows class teachers to identify any areas where students are underperforming and provide suitable interventions, as well as familiarising students with the style and structure of the final examinations which they will encounter.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities
Students in each year group are invited to participate in different competitions throughout the year. The Maths Challenge is designed for higher ability students and consists of 25 problem solving questions where students have to apply their mathematical thinking to unfamiliar contexts with the aim of progressing to the next round of the competition, where they can compete against other students around the country. We currently enter students from all year groups into different maths challenges being run throughout the year.
The department also looks to run events and invite external providers to visit the school to talk to students about how maths can be used in their everyday lives – recently this has included looking at banking, agriculture and motorsport, as well as maths events looking at different aspects of the subject in more detail such as probability and how it can be used.