It is essential to everyday life and necessary for financial literacy and almost all forms of employment
Mathematics in Key Stage Three is also about enjoyment and engagement with the subject. Students are encouraged to be involved in making lessons relevant by making links to their own lives and other subjects studied at school. In Key Stage Three we help prepare the students from the simplest tasks of everyday life, such as ensuring the correct change is given, to understanding the trigonometry behind great engineering feats.
The curriculum is divided into the strands of Number, Algebra, Shape, Space and Measure and Data Handling. New content is introduced, built upon and revisited regularly to ensure proficiency as pupils progress through the Key Stage. As well as having a focus on building mathematical fluency, we place emphasis on problem solving and mathematical reasoning skills.
Lessons are not just about solving routine calculations but students are encouraged to deepen their knowledge through a series of ‘rich tasks’. These tasks are designed to extend knowledge or apply it in a new context, requiring pupils to see and make sense of underlying principles or make connections between different areas of Mathematics. The students work within intriguing contexts to develop their problem solving skills and both deepen and broaden their mathematical content knowledge. By the end of Year 9, pupils will be confident in their application of the skills they have learnt . They will have the confidence to step into activities even when the route to a solution is unclear and to think outside of the perceived limits to find a path to success.
