Curriculum Team Leader

Mr Rob Power (r.power@tgs.starmat.uk)

Introduction

At Tadcaster Grammar School you have the opportunity to study Maths with the most amazing and inspiring Maths teachers. We aim to make Maths an enjoyable subject, as well as showing you how it can be linked to other subjects and to situations in everyday life. Just remember – Maths is a skill; it takes practice and confidence in order to succeed. We are always here to help – just ask.

Key Stage 3 and 4

Students begin their Maths journey in Year 7 and embark on a five year programme, culminating in their GCSE Maths at the end of Year 11.

Curriculum content follows a cyclical basis according to ability through the following:

• The number system
• Angles and constructions
• Algebraic manipulation and substitution
• Comparing and displaying data
• Fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio & proportion
• Length, area and volume
• Solving equations and inequalities
• Probability
• Calculations
• Transformations
• Sequences and graphs

Lessons are based on providing opportunities for achieving fluency, applying techniques and methodologies, using reasoning and solving problems where appropriate through a high level of challenge. Students are set according to ability when they begin in Year 7 based on KS2 results and teacher assessment. As progress is made students can move sets according to their ongoing performance, all of which is communicated with home.

In Years 7-9, students sit a review each term on work to date, In Year 10, students sit reviews more frequently on work to date. In Year 11, students also sit at least one mock examination prior to their external exams. Support for preparation for these assessments in provided on the Maths Google Site.

All students are expected to formally revisit skills and techniques throughout the year by means of spaced retrieval homework on the Hegarty Maths website.

In Years 7 and 8, small groups of students, identified as needing extra help, have catch up intervention in the means of a dedicated programme of lessons designed to boost their basic numeracy. In Years 9 – 11, small groups of students, identified as needing extra help, are taught outside of the normal programme of study as they prepare for the Entry Level Certificate qualifications prior to embarking on their GCSE studies. In Key Stage 4, some students requiring extra support will be offered extra tuition, ‘buddying’ and mentoring implemented according to need.

Key Stage 5

In Key Stage 5, the Mathematics Faculty currently offers the following A Level courses: Mathematics and A Level Further Mathematics. Curriculum content is as per the exam board specification consisting of:

• Proof
• Algebra and functions
• Coordinate geometry in the (x,y) plane
• Sequences and series
• Trigonometry
• Exponentials and logarithms
• Differentiation
• Integration
• Numerical methods
• Vectors
• Statistical sampling
• Data presentation and interpretation
• Probability
• Statistical distributions
• Statistical hypothesis testing
• Quantities and units in mechanics
• Kinematics
• Forces and Newton’s laws
• Moments

Curriculum content for A level Further Mathematics is as per the exam board specification consisting of:

• Proof
• Complex numbers
• Matrices
• Further Algebra and Functions
• Further Calculus
• Further Vectors
• Polar coordinates
• Hyperbolic functions
• Differential equations
• Trigonometry
• Coordinate geometry

Extra-curricular

Students have opportunities to attend events such as bridge building, code breaking, puzzle solving, dome building and fractal construction. There has been an annual Year 11 Maths visit to Amsterdam and KS5 Maths visit to the West Yorkshire Playhouse for an inspirational lecture as well as various Maths Team Challenges and individual UKMT Maths Challenges for all Year groups.

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