Mathematics

Contacts:
Head of Faculty	Mr P Hassan-Yazdi
Deputy Head of Faculty

Our Curriculum Vision:

The Mathematics curriculum is based upon:

A commitment to the principle that all students can make progress in mathematics, be curious about mathematics, enjoy and understand it, regardless of background;
A belief that mathematics is an interconnected discipline and students are able to discover the links within the subject.

We want students to:

Develop understanding and fluency in mathematics;
Apply skills to appreciate mathematics as a whole and its interconnectedness;
Develop the ability to think logically and critically, and therefore become better learners;
Apply mathematics in familiar and unfamiliar situations, and appreciate its applications;
Communicate mathematical arguments clearly both orally and in written form, using appropriate vocabulary and notation.

We will achieve this through:

Being aware of students’ prior knowledge, and building upon it appropriately;
Providing opportunities to commit learning to long term memory;
A shared set of mathematical pedagogies and best practice;
A scheme of learning that constructs mathematical knowledge and understanding in a connected way;
Adapting teaching and learning to meet students’ individual needs;
Encouraging the participation of girls in mathematics;
Modelling and encouraging commitment, honesty, kindness, respect, resilience, and hard work.

Key Stage 3 Curriculum

The Key Stage 3 Maths course is based on the philosophy that Mathematics is a creative subject and students are encouraged to deepen their understanding of the key concepts that underpin it. The course includes, amongst other modules: reasoning in two and three dimensions; learning the purpose and language of algebra through problem-solving; developing statistical knowledge through project-based lessons; sequences, number patterns, and ratio and proportion.

In Year 7 students are taught in broad bands roughly corresponding to the information we have on them from Primary Schools. Students sit a baseline test in the second week of Year 7, which gives us further information to group them by ability.

In Year 8 students are placed in ability sets corresponding to their performance in Year 7.

The Scheme of Learning has been evolving rapidly over the last few years and will continue to develop to prepare students for a new GCSE course that focuses heavily on reasoning, problem solving and fluency.

Our curriculum is designed to build and expand on previous skills and subject knowledge, over a 5-year period. It also plans for opportunities for repetition to embed knowledge, increasing the chance of information recall.

Homework comes in many forms including written tasks, reading, library/internet research and projects. It could be a selection of tasks on MyMaths/Mathswatch. It should be set once per week as per home learning timetable.

Please CLICK below to discover more about our curriculum.

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4 Curriculum and Assessment:

In this course, students will build on the knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts covered at Key Stage 3. These include number, algebra, geometry, measures, ratio, proportion and rates of change, statistics and probability. They will use their knowledge and understanding to make connections between mathematical concepts. They will be able to apply the functional elements of mathematics to solve problems in real-life situations.

Maths underpins much of what we do in everyday life such as planning a budget or scheduling a journey. They can also use the skills they have acquired when studying further subjects at all levels. Mathematics also forms part of the content for many degrees, where it can lead on to a variety of jobs. These include engineering, science, IT and economics.

For the more able students in Key Stage 4, they also follow GCSE Further Maths course alongside the GCSE, giving them experience of A Level work. Those students who cannot access the curriculum are entered for the Entry Level Certificate as well.

In Year 11, students will sit three sets of ‘pre-public exams’. The marking will be moderated across the Faculty, and results will be analysed on a question by question basis to inform the work that completed in class. This will form part of a bigger package of support mechanisms to help monitor students’ progress and ensure that they can maximise their chances of success in the final exams.

GCSE Maths is a linear course which means that students’ knowledge will be assessed through a final exam which is made up of three written papers, two calculator and one non-calculator.

There are two tiers of assessment - Higher (9 - 4) and Foundation (5 – 1).

Candidates can only be entered for one tier.

Exam board: Pearson Edexcel

KEY STAGE 5 Curriculum and Assessment:

At Hampstead School we offer A levels in both Mathematics and Further Mathematics. We accept students who have studied in Year 11 at Hampstead School, as well as external applicants. Continuing students benefit from strong mathematical relationships formed in the lower school, and external students settle quickly into a strong community of learning.

In Mathematics A level, students extend their knowledge of algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and are introduced to concepts in calculus. The new linear A level in Mathematics has compulsory content in statistics and mechanics in both Year 12 and Year 13. They are examined by three exams at the end of Year 13 but have the option of sitting AS level Mathematics at the end of Year 12.

In Further Mathematics, students extend their knowledge of mathematics by learning concepts such as complex numbers, matrices, proof by induction, series, vectors, hyperbolic functions and differential equations, as well as studying further statistics and mechanics. Students who have ambitions of studying mathematics, physics or engineering at university should seriously consider studying Further Mathematics A level.

Students have 9 hours of lessons per fortnight, split between two teachers. In Mathematics, there are approximately 20 students per class in Year 12. They receive regular written feedback in the form of topic assessments and have free access to the Integral Maths online learning platform throughout the two years. They are assessed regularly to ensure they are making good progress in the course and these assessments are used to identify areas that students need to focus on to succeed.

Further Mathematics is taught alongside Mathematics. A level students will have the same teachers for both Mathematics and Further Mathematics. In addition, there is significant support available to students who are required to sit University entrance exams in Mathematics such as STEP and MAT.

Exam board: OCR MEI AS & A Level Mathematics B

GCSE RETAKES

Students in Years 12 and 13 may re-sit their GCSE exam in November or June. Retake classes are timetabled for students four times per fortnight to assist the students by revising specific topics in their preparation for the exam.

Enrichment Opportunities:

UKMT Mathematics Challenge - each year students have the opportunity to take part in the UK National Maths Challenges (junior and senior). We have had winners at all levels including students who went on to participate in international challenges.

Count on Us - The Count on Us Secondary Challenge is a unique, pan-London maths tournament for Years 7, 8 and 9 students delivered in partnership with the Jack Petchey Foundation. By combining a series of mental arithmetic and problem-solving tasks, the Secondary Challenge helps students become confident mathematicians, developing mathematical fluency and improving problem solving skills.

Maths Olympics - In the summer term Year 7 or 8 are taken off timetable to take part in the Maths Olympics in which students in teams take part in fun activities to test knowledge across the Key Stage 3 curriculum; the activities cater for kinaesthetic, visual and auditory learners.

Maths Club – to support with home learning for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. The students also do a variety of activities such as making origami shapes, binary numbers, raspberry pi, etc.