WHY TAKE MATHEMATICS?
Mathematics contributes to society and to the development and functioning of individuals within it. It is useful in many other areas of learning, in everyday life and at work. Its language and symbolism provide a precise and efficient means of communication.
It contributes to the development of an individual’s autonomy by enabling that person to make more objective decisions. It can be a source of aesthetic pleasure, creative stimulation and intellectual challenge. Aims The aims of the mathematics department are to enable each student to
- experience a wide range of mathematical activities
- gain an insight into the precision, power and aesthetic qualities of mathematics
- understand the mathematics they use
- be able to apply the mathematics they learn
- achieve their potential in mathematics
- To develop the student’s appreciation and enjoyment of mathematics
- To develop their mathematical knowledge and oral, written and practical skills
- To solve problems, present the solutions clearly, check and interpret results
- To develop a feel for number, carry out calculations and understand the significance of the results
- To appreciate patterns and relationships in mathematics
- To acquire a foundation appropriate to future study of mathematics and other disciplines
- To analyse a problem and select a suitable strategy to obtain its solution.
- To make logical deductions from given mathematical data
- To perform calculations by suitable methods
- To recognise and use spatial relationships in two and three dimensions
- To carry out practical and investigational work
These are to be achieved through the scheme of work and policies and practices of the mathematics department.
KEY STAGE 3
Mathematics is a compulsory subject at KS3 – Year 7 and Year 8. There are five one hundred minute lessons per fortnight and students are expected to complete a piece of homework each fortnight, sometimes on Mathswatch; www.vle.mathswatch.com/vle. This gives students instant feedback on what they have done and enables them to watch a video on that topic.
In mathematics, students are set in classes by ability from the beginning of Year 7. Through the 2 years, lessons are designed to teach the Key Performance Indicators. Learning objectives are linked to these KPI’s and end of semester assessments are designed to assess progress towards meeting or mastery of each KPI. Students are then provided with personalised and specific information on how to improve and therapy lessons are planned to support these improvements.
A variety of tasks to enrich learning and deepen understanding are also provided. CSIA are one of an initial three schools in the South West to sign up to deliver the Mathematics Mastery programme to Year 7, from September 2017, through https://www.mathematicsmastery.org. Mathematics Mastery is an engaging and accessible style of mathematics teaching, inspired by Singapore and Shanghai. The approach is to enhance understanding and enjoyment, as well as raise attainment for every child. An initial assessment before each block of learning is also completed as part of this approach.
KEY STAGE 4
Mathematics is a compulsory subject at KS4 and students achieve a GCSE qualification. There are five one hundred minute lessons per fortnight for Years 9 and 10, and six per fortnight for Year 11. Students are expected to complete a piece of homework each week.
Year 9 and 10 complete an assessment at the end of three semester’s comprising of questions relating to topics taught, plus one full GCSE mock examination during an assessment week. Students are then provided with personalised and specific information on how to improve and therapy lessons are planned to support these improvements.
A variety of tasks to enrich learning and deepen understanding are also provided. Year 11 complete a full GCSE mock examination each semester. This is marked and given a predicted GCSE grade and students are then provided with personalised and specific information on how to improve. Any of these assessments may trigger some intervention work, usually in the form of after school support or one-to-one sessions, in order to support the students in achieving their full potential in mathematics. The GCSE scheme of work is taught by Christmas for all classes. Therefore, the assessments inform what students are taught in Year 11 lessons. Extensive and personalised support is provided after school on Wednesday’s from 2:45pm to 4pm.
GCSE Mathematics now places a renewed emphasis on problem-solving, functionality and mathematical thinking. There is a much greater emphasis in examinations on the assessment of applying mathematics and using mathematics to solve problems, and some questions will be set in contexts that students should be expected to deal with in the real world.
Students might be asked to answer questions on, for instance, decorating a room or designing a garden; or perhaps paying bills or sorting out rotas for shop staff. The GCSE will be entirely assessed by written examination, which means that no coursework will be expected from any student. The content of GCSE Mathematics exams:
|Geometry and Measures||15%||20%|
|Statistics and Probability||15%||15%|
|Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Changes||25%||20%|
The course followed is the Edexcel GCSE Mathematics 1-9. All of the examinations are taken at the end of Year 11. There are three 1 hour and 30 minutes papers to complete. For paper 1 a calculator CANNOT be used. For paper 2 and paper 3 a calculator CAN be used. Students in Year 11 that have demonstrated an ability to achieve a Grade 9 will also have the opportunity to student the OCR Additional Mathematics qualification.
|GCSE Mathematics||CSIA||Secondary Comprehensive – LEA|
|A Level Mathematics||CSIA||National|
|A Level Further Mathematics||CSIA||National|
Mathematics is an optional subject at KS5. At CSIA it is one of the most popular subjects to choose as an A Level. The qualifications we offer are:
A level Mathematics – this includes work on the core ideas of algebra, trigonometry and calculus as well as mechanics and statistics.
A level Further Mathematics – this includes work on the core ideas of matrices and complex numbers as well as the study of decision mathematics and further mechanics or statistics. All exams are taken in June of Year 13.
The exam board is Edexcel for Year 12 and OCR MEI for Year 13. There are six one hundred minute lessons per fortnight. Homework tasks are set twice a week, using the MEI website resources or textbooks. This gives students instant feedback on what they have done and enables them both to consult notes on that topic and to repeat the homework in order to improve their standard.
There are several step assessments per half term that are formatively marked. These inform personalised intervention tasks and sessions on a Thursday after school. Milestone assessments are also completed and these are examination papers. AQA Level 3 Mathematical Studies (Core Mathematics) – this qualification is designed for students who have achieved a grade C or above at GCSE. It helps to develop students’ mathematical skills and thinking and supports courses such as A-level Psychology, Sciences and Geography as well as technical and vocational qualifications. It is a one-year course offering UCAS points equivalent to an AS.
NEXUS students follow the same programme of study as above in Mathematics, including mastery. In addition to this, students have the opportunity to attend the mathematical modelling extra-curricular sessions in preparation for future Singapore Mathematics challenge events. NEXUS 6 students are provided with support towards completing the STEP examination.
Studying mathematics helps you develop skills in logical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making, which are valued by employers across many job sectors. Jobs directly related to a Mathematics degree include:
- Actuarial analyst
- Chartered accountant
- Chartered certified accountant
- Data analyst
- Investment analyst
- Research scientist (maths)
- Secondary school teacher
- Systems developer
Jobs where a mathematics degree would be useful include: Civil Service fast streamer Financial manager
- Financial trader
- Insurance underwriter
- Operational researcher
- Quantity surveyor
- Software tester
These are not exhaustive lists. Many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, particularly mathematics.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME The Singapore mathematics challenge is an important bi-annual event attended by a team of Mathematicians from CSIA. Preparation for this event forms part of the NEXUS extra-curricular programme.
TRIPS AND VISITS Singapore Mathematics Challenge UKMT Senior Mathematics Team Challenge PiXL High-5 student conference Plymouth University STEP preparation days