Mathematics
Preston Manor Mathematics Department Curriculum Intent
At Preston Manor we aim to inspire in our students an inherent enjoyment of Mathematics. We want to support students in reaching a stage where they revel in the logic, analysis and systematic approach which are required to tackle mathematical conundrums.
We have designed curriculums that consider the needs of every student and provide personalised challenge which allows students to develop into reflective and critical thinkers. We help students develop the resilience and perseverance that they require in order to resist the temptation to admit defeat and make the most of all opportunities that are on offer. We teach students to have high expectations of themselves and foster an environment of collaboration and respect for themselves and others.
Through studying a broad range of topics, covering various aspects of Number, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics and Probability, students gain the skills with which they must be equipped in order to become problem solvers who can link a variety of mathematical concepts to real world scenarios. These topics have been arranged hierarchically in the sense that careful consideration has been given to ensure that students will not have to tackle any topics without having first studied the prerequisite knowledge and constituent skills. It could also be described as a spiral curriculum as each topic involves students revisiting their prior learning from previous years and building upon it to reach new levels of complexity and understanding. We recognise pupils individuals strengths and ambitions and have designed the curriculum to support students in their future endeavours. We understand that to be successful in their later lives, students must be able not only to tackle multi-step problems but also to articulate the reasoning behind their chosen approach.
We believe that our Maths curricula, through key stages 3, 4 and 5, enable Preston Manor students to become the best versions of themselves as they develop the skills to become numerate for life.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3 our curriculum intent is to develop Mathematical fluency. Students build upon the skills gained in Primary school as well as being introduced to new areas of mathematics. Our aim is for students to develop an understanding of how these different areas of Maths are interlinked as well as developing procedural efficiency so that they are prepared for the problem solving and reasoning that lies ahead. Our curriculum follows the old national curriculum so that it is broad and balanced and so that our students are exposed to as many aspects of possible of the Maths which they will encounter in the world around them.
We ensure that each student is on the right pathway from the beginning of secondary school by identifying the gaps in their understanding of what they studied at primary school We then provide them with an offering which will fill those gaps and provide them with the solid foundations required to tackle the challenges ahead.
We strive to support and challenge all students to achieve their full potential, using a variety of teaching strategies. Our regular assessments & effective feedback allow students to become self-reflective and independent learners. Key Stage 3 familiarises the students with our spiralled approach to curriculum where they revisit topics each term and year in order to take steps of greater complexity on each return.
We want to make sure that students enjoy their lessons and love Maths so we try to make the lessons as relevant to their lives as possible. The best way we have found of promoting this enjoyment is by showing them where Maths can take them in life by showing them how what they are learning is used in, for example, medicine.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 our curriculum intent is to develop problem solving and mathematical reasoning. Students revisit topics from Key Stage 3 but study these areas to a greater depth, as well as learn new topics not previously seen in lower years. We guide our students and allow them to take a particular approach to solve multistep problems but at the same time we encourage them to explain and justify their reasoning. We nurture the belief that it is ok to make mistakes because we learn more from them. By creating a culture which is open-minded in its approach to learning and rooted in the setting of high expectations, we develop critical thinkers who are able to make links between concepts and tackle any problem with resilience. For some of our students this is the last stage of their mathematical education so we strive to not only prepare them for their GCSE exam but also to ensure that they have the numeracy skills that they will require to build for themselves a happy and successful future.
Key Stage 5
At Key Stage 5 our curriculum intent is to enable our young people to enter the next stage of their educational pathway, be it a university or an advanced level apprenticeship. We nurture their love for Mathematics and foster mathematical creativity in our lessons. We strengthen their mathematical understanding and build well rounded, ambitious mathematicians who are ready to tackle not the KS5 exam but also have the resilience to problem solve beyond the classroom.
Students build further upon the number and algebra skills which they have developed at Key Stage 4 in their study of pure maths. They also study applications of Maths in Mechanics and Statistics. We support students in learning how to find creative solutions to challenging problems using a range of topics and methods. Through frequent assessments, pupils are consistently able to self-assess their progress and act upon areas they need to improve at an early stage. Students are provided with an in depth education in the idea of mathematical abstraction so that they are in a position to use their mathematical skills to positively contribute to society in the future.