As Head of Mathematics you won’t be surprised to find that I am extremely enthusiastic about my subject and passionate about the manner in which it is delivered to our students.

If you were to look at the school’s A-level and GCSE results you will see that we have an outstanding record of success in external examinations at all levels.  However, exam statistics on their own do not tell the whole story of how exciting and enjoyable it is to study Mathematics at King Edward’s.

I am fortunate to lead a department of extremely well-qualified, committed and, above all, innovative teachers.  We seek to make Maths lessons accessible to all by using a variety of teaching techniques and activities.  Students are encouraged to think and reason logically, the regular use of “challenge” problems and extension activities to supplement the standard exercises ensures that lessons do not become “routine”.

The Maths department at King Edward’s is lively, popular and very successful.  Students of all abilities enjoy studying Maths and I am sure that you would get a feel for why this is if you were to take a walk along the “Maths Corridor”.

Below are details of how we organise our teaching and other important information.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at school.

Mr D. Middlebrough
Head of Mathematics

23/01/2012

The Maths Department has invited top mathematicians from Year 7 and 8 to attend a series of six Maths Master Classes at Bath University.

The sessions take place on Saturdays and are specifically designed to extend the learning of the more able mathematicians who are looking to go on to study Maths or Science at University.

Curriculum provision

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 will receive five hours of Maths per fortnight.  This time allowance increases to six hours in Key Stage 4 when students embark on their IGCSE course.  The programme of study for Key Stage 3 is intended to provide pupils with a good grounding in the fundamental skills of number, algebra, shape and data-handling. At the same time we aim to provide lessons that offer a variety of learning experiences for all pupils. Each scheme of work includes a number of investigational, practical and ICT-based activities to supplement each topic.

Setting

Year 7 pupils will initially be taught in five mixed-ability groups.  Based on classwork, homework and the results of unit tests, they will be placed in ability bands towards the end of the Autumn term.  This banding will allow pupils to progress through the scheme of work at a pace more suited to their ability; more able pupils will be given more opportunities to undertake challenging extension work, while there will be extra practice for those who need it.

From Year 8 onwards pupils are taught in five sets (increasing to six in Year 10).  The number of sets allows pupils to be taught in smaller classes (typically an average of around 18 children per set, although lower sets tend to be a lot smaller).  This enables each pupil to be given a larger proportion of the teacher’s time.  Movement between sets/bands is possible and will be based on how a pupil performs in classwork and tests.

Staff make every effort, through regular marking and monitoring procedures, to ensure that pupils are assessed fairly and placed in the most appropriate Maths group.

The department provides extra lunchtime help sessions for Year 7.  The topics covered in these sessions are posted weekly and pupils are invited to attend for extra help.  It is anticipated that a few pupils will need to attend every week (parents will be informed by letter if this is the case), while others may only need help with the occasional topic.

There is always a member of the Maths department available during other lunchtimes and we offer a “drop-in” Maths clinic where pupils are encouraged to seek help with their work or to benefit from some one-on-one tuition.

Students in Years 9, 10 and 11 follow the International GCSE (IGCSE) course run through Edexcel.

Although there is substantial overlap between the IGCSE and GCSE courses, we feel that the more rigorous approach and the increased use of problem solving makes the IGCSE course more interesting for students and better prepares them for using mathematics in other disciplines.

We do not believe in using early entry to accelerate our best students.  Instead the top two sets in Years 10 and 11 cover the Additional Maths qualification alongside their IGCSE in order to provide extra challenge.