The key stage 4 curriculum is designed to cover the entire GCSE syllabus for Edexcel. Each group covers the basic core concepts with the opportunity to extend their knowledge beyond these. The intention of this is to provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills so that they achieve the highest grade possible in their GCSE’s, while at the same time giving them the skills to prepare them for life.

We aim for our Lessons to be engaging because they are challenging and fun. Our students will want to succeed, and, through hard work and achievement, they want to learn more. Modelling is a key aspect of teaching in Mathematics. Through regular feedback and guided practice students master key concepts, methods, processes and formulas. Students learn how to revise and revisit prior knowledge so that they can be successful in regular low stakes tests whilst reinforcing their knowledge for the larger end of module/term assessments and ultimately their GCSE examinations. This helps to ensure long-term retention of core principles from KS3 through to KS4 and beyond.

Lessons follow the same format as key stage 3 with all lessons starting with an activity designed to allow students to practice previous knowledge.

We challenge our students, whilst providing appropriate scaffolding to ensure that all students progress through the rigorous development of knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Using their previous knowledge and ongoing learning students will be able to simplify problems into a series of smaller steps that will enable them to solve, reason and justify their solution to any problem. Within lessons students are taught strategies to solve problems and are encouraged by teacher modelling to be able to express themselves mathematically using keywords. Throughout our curriculum we use diagnostic questions to underpin the knowledge of our students and use this to address common misconceptions.

The impact is seen primarily through end of unit assessments (that occur approximately every 3 weeks) and end of term assessments. Where pupils get demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge to a number of different contexts to solve the problems presented to them.

Homework is set using Sparx maths on weekly basis. The homework set is based on retrieval practice to help pupils reinforce their knowledge.

Maths is an essential life skill and is often a required for many post 16 courses and future careers. Maths can help students progress onto A-level Maths, engineering courses, education courses, health courses, apprenticeships and T-levels.

Mathematics is fundamental to many engineering and scientific careers including:

• Accountancy
• Engineering
• Forensic investigator
• Pilot
• Pharmacist
• Doctor
• Nurse
• Meteorologist