Subject Lead - Mrs Clare Sargeant, 01805 623531 Ext. 351 or csargeant@gts.devon.sch.uk

Teachers - Mr Steven Beams, Mr Sam Geeson, Mr Jonathan Jones, Miss Jessica Lomax, Miss Megan Sargeant and Miss Lucy Evans

Homework tasks for Years 7-10 will be set on Sparx, see link below. Please feel free to complete any independent learning task on Sparx to support your learning.

Intent

The teaching of maths at GTS focuses on achieving the following intents:

• To build on prior knowledge and provide the building blocks to be able to proceed to study mathematics at a higher level
• To develop fluency of procedural methods before developing skills in application, reasoning and problem solving. 
• Provide pupils with rich knowledge, skills and deep conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts so that pupils can take advantage of the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. ​ 
• Insure pupils are highly mathematically literate, numerate and mathematically creative. ​ 
• We strive to provide opportunities to interleave mathematical topics both in maths and other curriculum areas 
• To inspire pupils to see the beauty of mathematics, to be confident mathematicians and recognise the opportunities it creates for them

Curriculum & Qualifications

KS3 Curriculum Outline

The tables below are a guide only, where pupils are set by ability the pace at which pupils progress through this content may differ.

KS4 Curriculum Outline

KS4 Maths focuses on the curriculum for the Maths GCSE. Pupils at GTS can take either the Foundation or Higher papers.

Pupils will cover GCSE Foundation content in Year 10, the pace at which pupils progress through this content is personalised to their Maths group and the table and for some pupils this content will continue into Year 11 followed by time to concentrate on recapping and consolidating their learning to date. Other pupils will diverge to the higher content for Year 11.

Higher pupils will spend Year 11 studying topics unique to their exam and which require far greater depth and breadth of mathematical knowledge.

Foundation Year 11 students complete the syllabus and consolidate their learning.

Our pupils are entered for the GCSE in Maths, with a small amount of pupils taking functional skills. These pupils follow a dedicated curriculum in KS4, which is separate from the GCSE curriculum.

For the GCSE our exam board is AQA. 

GCSE courses in mathematics should enable pupils to: 

• develop fluent knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts 
• acquire, select and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems 
• reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences and draw conclusions 
• comprehend, interpret and communicate mathematical information in a variety of forms appropriate to the information and context. 

In practice this means for the exams:

The pupils are entered for either Foundation Tier or Higher Tier GCSE papers. The Foundation Tier covers grades 1 to 5 and the Higher Tier grades 4 to 9. Both tiers have 3 exams to sit, 2 with a calculator and 1 without the use of a calculator. 
Each paper is assessed in the same way 

• written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes 
• 80 marks 
• Each paper contributes 1/3 of the GCSE Mathematics assessment 

The questions are a mix of question styles, from short, single-mark questions to multi-step problems. The mathematical demand increases as a pupil progresses through the paper. Each paper is composed of a mix of all of the content covered in the GCSE qualification and each topic area contributes the following % of the overall assessment.

For those pupils undertaking Functional Skills Mathematics, we follow the Pearson EdExcel Scheme of Work.

Functional Skills qualifications provide reliable evidence of a learner’s achievements against demanding content that is relevant to the workplace. The qualifications assess learners’ underpinning subject knowledge and their ability to apply this knowledge to different contexts.
Pupils will be entered at a level of their ability (Entry Level to Level 2). 

These qualifications give learners the opportunity to:

• Demonstrate a sound grasp of the underpinning skills and basics of mathematical problem-solving skills appropriate to the level, and the ability to apply mathematical thinking to solve problems in familiar situations
• Achieve a foundation for progression into employment
• Apply mathematical thinking to solve simple problems in familiar situations.

Learners who achieve Pearson Edexcel Functional Skills Qualifications in Mathematics at Entry Levels 1- to 3 can progress through the levels to Functional Skills Qualifications in Mathematics at Levels 1 and 2 or further mathematical study, such as GCSE.

In order to progress between levels, pupils will complete assessments, each comprising two sections – a non-calculator section (calculator prohibited) and a calculator section (calculator permitted).