Maths
Click here to view an illustration of our student's Mathematics Learning Journey
Key Stage 3 Maths Overview
Students follow an engaging and dynamic curriculum in order to deepen the understanding of the students’ mathematical knowledge, which includes students participating in regular problem solving and reasoning activities during Mathematics lessons. Through fluent retrieval of core mathematical principles, students become confident in the fundamentals of mathematics, developing a deeper and more profound understanding and an ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. Once students have a greater understanding in the basics of Mathematics, they will then move into the next year building upon their prior knowledge so to allow the students to become better equipped mathematicians.
Curriculum Aim: The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils:
- become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through consistent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop a deeper understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, proposing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument or proof using mathematical language.
- can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing levels of difficulty, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and not giving up until a problem is solved.
A Learning Snapshot is the maths departments approach to low stakes quizzing. At the beginning of each week, students are given a list of topics that have been taught or are currently being taught. Students then have the remainder of the week to go away and prepare for a small assessment, lasting no longer than 20 minutes which takes place during their maths lesson on a Friday. Feedback for these assessments is immediate with teachers modelling how to answer all questions before the lesson ends. A pass rate of 50% is expected for all students, with targeted shadow questions given to any student who does not reach this threshold. The process runs fortnightly.
The order of teaching in Year 7 and Year 8 is shown in the tables below:
Year 7
Autumn Term |
Spring Term |
Summer Term |
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Half Term 1 | Half Term 2 | Half Term 3 | Half Term 4 | Half Term 5 | Half Term 6 |
Place Value and Rounding, Number Properties, Expressions and Equations
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Co-ordinate Geometry, Perimeter and Area, Arithmetic Procedures including Fractions
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Fractions, Ratio and Transformations
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Year 8
Autumn Term |
Spring Term |
Summer Term |
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Half Term 1 | Half Term 2 | Half Term 3 | Half Term 4 | Half Term 5 | Half Term 6 |
Estimation and Rounding, Sequences, Graphs and Solving Equations
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Percentages, Proportionality, Statistical Representations, Measures and Analysis
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Perimeter, Area and Volume, Geometrical Properties of Polygons and Constructions
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Year 9
Year 9 allows us to cement key knowledge in the four areas of maths to ensure all students are equipped with the skills needed to access the knowledge and understanding of GCSE maths in Years 10 & 11.
SECURE Content
Term |
Focus/Topic |
Assessment |
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Autumn Term | |||||
Half Term 1 |
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Baseline Assessment Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 2 |
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Key Assessment 1 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Spring Term | |||||
Half Term 3 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 4 |
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Key Assessment 2 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Summer Term | |||||
Half Term 5 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 6 |
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Key Assessment 3 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
DEVELOPING Content
Term |
Focus/Topic |
Assessment |
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Autumn Term | |||||
Half Term 1 |
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Baseline Assessment Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 2 |
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Key Assessment 1 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Spring Term | |||||
Half Term 3 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 4 |
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Key Assessment 2 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Summer Term | |||||
Half Term 5 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 6 |
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Key Assessment 3 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
Key Stage 4 - Mathematics Curriculum Intent
Exams and Specifications
All students will sit the AQA GCSE Mathematics (8300) specification. You can access a detailed copy of the specification on the AQA website. For the Statistics GCSE we use Edexcel GCSE Statistics (1ST0) and this can be accessed within the Pearson’s website.
There are two tiers of entry available to students. GCSE Mathematics has a Foundation tier (grades 1 – 5) and a Higher tier (grades 4 – 9). Students must take three question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.
Each paper has a mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems. The mathematical demand increases as a student progresses through the paper. Content from any part of the specification may be assessed on each paper. Paper 1 is non-calculator whereas papers 2 and 3 a calculator is allowed. All papers are 1hour and 30 minutes long and are worth 80 marks each.
Revision and Support
To aid your child in revision for their exam the school will purchase revision guides and exam practice workbooks for each student at the beginning of Key Stage 4. Should you wish to purchase these yourselves please ensure you select the correct specification and tier for your child. We offer the CGP AQA Mathematics revision guides and exam practice workbooks (for the grade 9-1 course) for both higher or foundation tiers.
Year 10
All students in year 10 will continue to follow their 2-year GCSE KS4 course. During the course pupils will learn branches of Number, Algebra, Ratio, Proportion, Rates of change, Geometry and measure, Probability and Statistics.
All students will learn methods which will help with their other GCSE subjects by using, applying, consolidating and re-enforcing learning. Students will study mathematics which will be intertwined with links to the local labour market consisting of areas such as;
- Architecture and design
- Life Skills
- Engineering
- Medical Mathematics
- Further Digital Information
- Geographical and Physical Properties
Access to Foundation Content
Term |
Focus/Topic |
Assessment |
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Autumn Term | |||||
Half Term 1 |
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Baseline Assessment Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 2 |
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Key Assessment 1 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Spring Term | |||||
Half Term 3 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 4 |
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Key Assessment 2 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Summer Term | |||||
Half Term 5 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 6 |
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Key Assessment 3 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
Foundation Content
Term |
Focus/Topic |
Assessment |
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Autumn Term | |||||
Half Term 1 |
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Baseline Assessment Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 2 |
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Key Assessment 1 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Spring Term | |||||
Half Term 3 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 4 |
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Key Assessment 2 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Summer Term | |||||
Half Term 5 |
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Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 6 |
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Key Assessment 3 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
Higher Content
Term |
Focus/Topic |
Assessment |
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Autumn Term | |||||
Half Term 1 |
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Baseline Assessment Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 2 |
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Key Assessment 1 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Spring Term | |||||
Half Term 3 |
|
Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 4 |
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Key Assessment 2 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Summer Term | |||||
Half Term 5 |
|
Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
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Half Term 6 |
|
Key Assessment 3 Friday 5 summative assessment x 3 |
Year 11
All students in year 11 will continue to follow and in turn complete their 2-year GCSE Key Stage 4 course. During the course pupils will learn branches of Number, Algebra, Ratio, Proportion, Rates of change, Geometry and measure, Probability and Statistics.
All students will learn methods which will help with their other GCSE subjects by using, applying, consolidating and re-enforcing learning. Students will complete the final three units and these are described below.
- Further Mathematical Study- Apprenticeships
- Further Mathematical Study- A-Levels
- Further Mathematical Study- Vocational courses
Additional Curriculum Information
Intent
Mathematics is essential to everyday life; from science and technology through to the financial literacy required in most forms of employment. Throughout all lessons, skills are broken down into key steps and we ensure that students master each step before moving on to the next. We then build these skills together using retrieval practice via Rosenshine’s principles of instruction to ensure students are able to make links between the skills they have studied and are able to apply them to more complex problem. This approach ensures that all students succeed and make rapid progress.
By linking the national curriculum programme of study and the local labour market, we ensure that our students study a breadth of mathematical concepts based around the key strands of number, algebra, ratio and proportion, geometry and measure and probability and statistics. Each strand is broken down into key topics which are then separated into a sequence of learning objectives which each class moves through at the correct pace for our students. During KS3 our students’ study all of these topics each year, in ever-increasing depth and complexity in order to develop fluency in the fundamentals of mathematics. Repeated practice helps promote recall and application of knowledge which will be required in order to access more sophisticated problems in KS4.
By ensuring the fundamentals are conceptually embedded during KS3 we create a solid platform on which to build in KS4, with a continual focus on core principles linked to the application of content to more complex problems. For those that have not yet mastered the fundamentals there is a continued emphasis on repetition of key concepts. However, for the most able students, the Scheme of Work is designed so that key concepts are recapped quickly before spending more time exposing students to applied questions to develop depth of understanding and problem-solving techniques. From the Scheme of Work, teachers are able to choose the starting point for each unit depending on the needs and the ability of the class. This means that each year students revisit a topic, they start further along the progression through that topic. Class sizes are never at full capacity to provide the support that is needed for students to reach their target grades.
We at Jarrow School know how important it is to tailor the learning process to each individual child’s needs. Within Mathematics, all ability ranges are catered for with a tiered approach to study. Every student is given the opportunity to make rapid progress by embracing an ambitious curriculum. All elements of the curriculum are heavily differentiated to allow learners to access the content needed to be successful within our subject. We have made intuitive and informed choices, which we believe is essential to overcoming specific barriers and building positive attitudes towards Mathematics.
SEND
Within Jarrow school’s maths department, it is our intention for students with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) to ensure that all children receive a high-quality and ambitious maths education regardless of need or disability. We believe that it is vital that our pupils are equipped with the tools needed to become independent, inquisitive mathematicians both in and out of the classroom. Through our high-quality planning, teaching and provision we: Pride ourselves on early identification and intervention for SEND to ensure that progress and opportunities are maximized. Ensure that all children have access to a broad mathematical curriculum which is differentiated to enable children to understand the relevance and purpose of maths. Working closely with the schools SEND Coordinator, we will always provide an accessible learning environment which is tailored to the individual needs of all pupils and provide good quality and relevant training for all staff members supporting children with SEND in maths.
Assessment
Formative assessment is an integral part of our approach to Teaching and Learning, with retrieval practice fully embedded into every lesson. Over the course of their study, we will use weekly/fortnightly cumulative formative diagnostic assessments in class to ensure that students are consistently retrieving their knowledge of different components. The purpose of this is to ensure all knowledge is retained (and any gaps are identified and addressed promptly) and also to inform teachers’ planning. Using this style of assessment, we will make use of the advantages of spaced practice as well as allowing pupils to be able to apply their knowledge to a wide variety of contexts.
Students also sit a summative assessment every term. This assessment will be cumulative and will assess not only what the students have learned over the previous term, but also their understanding of all relevant material previously taught. Staff are supported to mark these accurately and post assessment moderation also takes place to ensure the validity of the data.
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