Mathematics

Teachers in the Mathematics Department hope that all children will get as much out of the subject as they can, whatever their age and whatever their level of competence.

Staff
Head of Mathematics:	Mr Adrian Procter BEd CertEd
Teachers:

In reaching the targets inherent in this, we hope that all children will have as much positive contact with Mathematics as we can encourage and that they will enjoy the process of learning about the subject, because they will have experienced a variety of presentation and methods of approaching the subject which foster a spirit of enquiry into the possibilities and even awe at their findings. The statistical targets are that those who find the greatest difficulty will reach the college’s aspirations for achievement (N.C. Level 4 at the end of Y6 and N.C. Level 5 at the end of Y8) and that those of highest ability reach Level 5 comfortably at the end of Y6 and Level 7+ at the end of Y8.

Curriculum

The Curriculum of the Mathematics Department is based on five main items. Chief among these is the National Curriculum, now encapsulated in the National Numeracy Strategy, which is a dominant factor in all planning.

The other items are the main primary age text (New Heinemann Mathematics); the main secondary age text (Essential Mathematics); the Scholarship level syllabus of Clifton College and the Common Entrance Syllabus. The last of these takes a relatively minor role overall as the examination has not been used internally at Clifton since Summer 1998 and the Common Academic Scholarship papers only have been used since Summer 2005.

Assessment

Children entering the school are assessed using a variety of instruments. Children transferring from the Pre Prep in Butcombe are assessed using the Year 3 Intermediate SAT, whilst those entering from external schools are given a generic assessment which can be matched with internal assessments, unless they are not competent English speakers and these children are given an internally devised assessment which requires minimal language skills. Children in all years sit an end-of-year exam and these are all nationally produced. In Years 4, 5 and 7 Intermediate SAT’s are used; in Year 6 children take the Key Stage 2 exam and in Year 8 children either take the Common Academic Scholarship or the Key Stage 3 papers that have been used in the same year.

Children are also assessed on an on-going basis through classwork throughout the system, supplemented by assessments units for those children using the primary text, by practice SAT’s papers in Year 6 and by modular assessments for those children using the secondary text.

Skills

Throughout the system, emphasis will be placed on the skills of Numeracy and Mental Arithmetic is given a high profile, with written calculations being delayed until the level of competence of the children is suitable for their introduction. The use of calculators will be gradually introduced at appropriate stages, but not as a substitute for mental and written techniques, and the use of computers is to be given an appropriate role, particularly for investigative and statistical work. Investigative work and practical tasks will also be used as teaching media with the aim that the subject should not be bound solely by published texts, rather should be delivered from a variety of standpoints.

In all year groups it is policy that pupils cover the syllabus at a rate appropriate for their ability, thus the difference between most and least able will inevitably increase with time. It is policy also that the most able pupils are challenged by the way work is presented, that they should be encouraged to think beyond the basic textbook presentation and that they should be encouraged to work at good pace, with an increasing independence of method gradually moving them away from reliance on pencil and paper techniques.

It is also policy that if there are pupils who have special needs and will need to work at a rate below the normal level aimed at for the least able, that such pupils will be accommodated and if necessary special provisions will be made for them.