Maths and Computing

Mathematics

Learning is encouraged through a variety of teaching styles which is bespoke to individual classes and how they learn best.  

Mathematics interventions are offered across the curriculum for those pupils who need additional help, tailored to them by maths specialists. Additionally we offer weekly clinics to assist and challenge students with any aspect of their mathematics work.  

Whenever possible students are set in ability groups from year 7.  This setting is monitored regularly. We close the gaps. Regular assessments are conducted and pupils are set challenging, but achievable, targets. 

Tasks and lessons are well differentiated and/or scaffolded to meet the needs of pupils and all pupils are able to access and be successful in their learning. Each pupil has a tracker in their assessment folder which identifies the sequence of learning they are following – this is a way of monitoring what has been learnt and any gaps within their knowledge.  

High expectations of achievement are evident and the quality of pupil work and steps of progress made at KS3 and KS4 are relative to the pupils’ behaviour and effort put in.

All students have individual Mathswatch login codes to access homework tasks and structured revision for assessments. Y11 students have access to Method Maths. Method Maths allows students to complete past exam papers or access questions that link to the topics they are studying in school.

As a department we offer opportunities for individual and team competition through the UKMT challenges in all Key stages.

COMPUTING

The intent of the Computer Science curriculum is to develop students’ computational thinking and problem-solving abilities by equipping them with the skills required to be successful in their future careers. 

We want students to build resilience and become creative, critical thinkers who can apply their skills to any challenging situation. Our curriculum is designed to equip students with the skills and understanding to live and work in a technological world. This includes being able to use a variety of ICT and coding software. 

We aim to develop students’ knowledge, skills and understanding through exposure to key computational concepts. The Computer Science curriculum has been designed to ensure learners have sufficient knowledge to stay safe online, understanding how computers work and be confident when using them. Our aim to develop students into resilient learners who are able to effectively solve problems and recover from mistakes and feel prepared to live and work with ever evolving technology and software.