As a Maths Department we aim for our students to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics. We want them to develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. Through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems, we want our students to be able to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships, develop arguments, justify proofs and be able to use mathematical language to be able to solve mathematical problems. We want our students to become confident to use mathematics in everyday situations in order that they can solve problems which are presented to them and to know the skill of being able to break down problems into a series of simpler steps, and to learn the skill of persevering when seeking solutions. Our aim is for our students to be able to develop a strong knowledge and skills base to be able to progress to the next key stage, as well as to develop key transferable skills which they can use in other subjects. We encourage our students to experience different extra-curricular opportunities and to discuss mathematics outside of the classroom situation, and to also have the opportunity to become peer mentors so that they can practise explaining mathematical concepts to younger students.
The Mathematics Faculty has fully implemented the Year 7, 8 & 9 national curriculum, aiming to achieve the objectives for able students. There is a strong emphasis on the development of mental and oral Mathematics skills, with a direct interactive teaching method. Calculators are used where appropriate, and some topics involve the use of computers. Investigation work is incorporated into the course, and the more able are encouraged with homework.
Year 7, 8 & 9 students are entered for both the Junior and Intermediate UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) challenges with notable successes each year.
The Faculty also runs a thriving lunchtime Mathematics support club, and enters a Year 7, 8 & 9 team in the UKMT Team Challenge held at Manchester University.
Year 7 students are taught in forms, before setting is introduced in Year 8 (selection for Year 8 sets will be based on Year 7 examination results, AfL test results and teacher recommendations).
We aim to help students gain confidence in their abilities, to work on their own or to ask for help as appropriate, to persevere with problems, and above all, to enjoy their Mathematics.
Additionally, Computing is delivered within Year 7, 8 & 9 Mathematics. They receive 1 hour of Computing each week.
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Year 7:
| Assessments: October, December, March, June |
| Unit 1: Analysing and Displaying data |
- Two-way tables and bar charts
- Averages and range from frequency tables
- Discrete and continuous data. Averages from grouped data
- Line graphs-plot and interpret
- Pie charts-draw and interpret
- Scatter graphs and correlation
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| Unit 2: Number Skills |
- HCF, LCM and prime numbers
- Negative numbers - add and subtract
- Negative numbers - multiply and divide
- Multiplying (written and mental).
- Dividing using bus stop method
- Powers and roots - square and cube
- Order of operations
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| Unit 3: Equations, Functions and Formulae |
- Simplifying expressions - addition and subtraction
- Simplifying expressions - multiplying and dividing
- Forming algebraic expressions
- Substitution
- Writing formulae
- Expanding single brackets
- Factorising expressions
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| Unit 4: Fractions |
- Simplify fractions, write one number as a fraction of another, fractions of amounts
- Equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Fraction to a decimal using bus stop method
- Add and subtract fractions
- Multiplying and dividing fractions
- Improper to mixed number. Working with mixed numbers, including time as a mixed number
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| Unit 5: Angles and Shapes |
- Angles in parallel lines
- Triangles- properties and angles
- Quadrilaterals- properties and angles
- Interior and exterior angles of polygons
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| Unit 6: Decimals |
- Ordering and rounding decimals
- Add and subtract decimals
- Multiplying decimals
- Dividing decimals
- Harder equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages
- Percentage increase and decrease (with and without a calculator)
- Reverse percentages
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| Unit 7: Equations |
- Solving one-step equations
- Solving two-step equations
- Forming and solving equations
- Solve equations with brackets and unknowns on both sides
- Trial and improvement
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| Unit 8: Multiplicative Reasoning |
- Convert metric and imperial units
- Simplify ratio (including a ratio expressed as a decimal or fractions
- Sharing in a given ratio
- Proportion
- Simple direct and inverse proportion word problems
- Unitary method to solve ratio and proportion problems
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| Unit 9: Perimeter, area and volume |
- Area of triangles and parallelograms
- Area of trapeziums
- Perimeter and area of compound shapes
- Nets and properties of 3D solids
- Surface area of cubes and cuboids
- Volume and units of cubes and cuboids
- Convert metric measures of area and volume
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| Unit 10: Sequences and graphs |
- Sequences: term-to-term rule and missing terms
- The nth term
- Pattern sequences
- Coordinates and finding the midpoint of a line segment
- Horizontal and vertical straight-line graphs
- Plot straight lines using a table of values
|
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Year 8
| Assessments: October, December, March, June |
| Unit 1: Factors and powers |
- Prime factor decomposition
- Using Venn diagrams to find LCM and HCF
- Laws of indices
- Powers of 10
- Rounding to significant figures
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| Unit 2: Working with powers |
- Simplifying expressions involving powers and brackets
- Understand the meaning of an identity
- Expanding and factorising expressions
- Substitution
- Form and solve equations
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| Unit 3: 2D Shapes and 3D Shapes |
- Plans and elevations
- Surface area of prisms
- Volume of prisms
- Circumference of a circle
- Area of a circle
- Volume of a cylinder
- Surface area of a cylinder
- Pythagoras- finding the longer side
- Pythagoras- finding the shorter side
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| Unit 4: Real life graphs |
- Recognise direct proportion
- Interpreting graphs
- Draw distance-time graphs
- Interpret distance-time graphs
- Rates of change and real-life graphs
- Misleading graphs
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| Unit 5: Transformations |
- Translations and reflections
- Rotations
- Enlargements
- Negative and fractional enlargements
- Combining transformations
- Find the perimeter and area of 2D shapes after enlargements
- Find the volume of 3D solids after enlargements
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| Unit 6: Fractions, decimals and percentages |
- Change a recurring decimal to a fraction
- Percentage increase and decrease (with and without a calculator)
- Reverse percentages
- Percentage change
- Repeated percentages (compound interest)
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| Unit 7: Constructions and Loci |
- Draw triangles accurately using a ruler and protractor.
- Draw diagrams to scale
- Construct triangles using a ruler and compasses
- Construct nets of 3D solids using a ruler and compasses
- Perpendicular bisector
- Angle bisector
- Loci
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| Unit 8: Probability |
- Calculate and compare probabilities
- Mutually exclusive events
- Estimating probability
- Experimental probability
- Sample space diagrams and Venn diagrams
- Tree diagrams
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| Unit 9: Scale drawings and measures |
- Maps and scale
- Bearings
- Scale drawings
- Rules of congruency
- Similar shapes
- Solving geometry problems
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| Unit 10: Graphs |
- Plot straight lines using a table of values
- Straight line graphs- gradient and y intercept
- Parallel and perpendicular lines
- Inverse functions
- Non-linear graphs
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Year 9
| Assessments: October, December, March, June |
- Reciprocals
- Rules of indices
- Negative indices and powers of fractions
- Standard form
- Calculating with standard form
- Fractional indices
- Simplifying surds
- Problem solving with surds
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| Unit 2: Quadratics |
- Arithmetic sequences
- Quadratic sequences
- Expanding single and double brackets
- Factorising quadratics
- Solving quadratics
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| Unit 3: Inequalities, equations and formulae |
- Representing inequalities on a number line
- Solving linear inequalities
- Negative and zero indices
- Solve complex equations
- Changing the subject of a formula
- Change algebraic fractions to equivalent fractions
- Solving equations with fractions
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| Unit 4: Collecting and analysing data |
- Data collection- sampling and data sources
- Frequency polygons
- Averages from frequency tables and grouped data
- Averages from grouped data and draw conclusions from tables and charts
- Cumulative frequency graphs
- Draw and interpret box plots
- Draw histograms
- Interpret histograms
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| Unit 5: Multiplicative reasoning |
- Direct proportion
- Inverse proportion
- Area and circumference of circles
- Arcs and sectors of circles
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| Unit 6: Non-linear graphs |
- Plot quadratic graphs using a table of values
- Sketch quadratic graphs from their equation
- Plot cubic graphs using a table of values
- Reciprocal graphs
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| Unit 7: Accuracy and measures |
- Problems involving rates of change
- Density and pressure
- Upper and lower bounds
- Calculating with bounds
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| Unit 8: Graphical solutions |
- Simultaneous equations
- Straight line graphs- gradient and y intercept
- Find the equation of a line between two points
- Complex simultaneous equations
- Solve simultaneous equations by drawing graphs
- Solving linear inequalities graphically
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| Unit 9: Trigonometry |
- Tan ratio
- Sine ratio
- Cos ratio
- Use trigonometry to find missing angles
- Use trigonometry to find missing sides
- Trigonometric graphs
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| Unit 10: Mathematical reasoning |
- Explain, show and justify a mathematical solution
- Modelling- draw graphs to solve mathematical problems
- Understand how to use a mathematical proof
- Present a logical argument using algebra
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