‘The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might.’ – Isaiah 11:2
Our Vision and Intent
Mathematics is a highly interconnected discipline that gives us the ability to reason and reach certainty. It is through making these connections that we are able to facilitate light bulb moments and the joy of achievement. Believing in the individual strengths and unique talents of our pupils, we aid the journey of mathematical understanding and fluency. Pupils are encouraged to develop mathematical key skills, analyse and reason logically to enable them to solve problems. We establish an environment of welcome, where all pupils have the freedom to express their mathematical ideas and make mistakes until they master a new concept. We endeavour to provide enrichment activities outside of the classroom to further enhance the pupils’ love of Mathematics.
The Mathematics course at Brownedge St Mary's has been designed to enable our pupils to be:
- fluent in recalling and applying key skills
- able to argue and reason mathematically
- able to apply their acquired knowledge to problem solve
We want our young people to leave school as numerate individuals who are confident at facing challenge and thinking logically in order to solve problems. We believe in the unique strengths and individual talents of all our pupils and as such offer full access to the curriculum for all. We offer an open and welcoming environment where pupils have the freedom to express their ideas and feel comfortable in making mistakes until they master a new concept. We want our pupils to enjoy their maths lessons and love to see those light bulb moments when pupils are able to make connections in order to solve problems.
Within Mathematics lessons we contribute to pupil’s SMSC by:
- Developing skills of Critical thinking - analysis, evaluation and reflection.
- Learning to cope with new methods and difficult problems - resilience and perseverance.
- Participation in pair, group and class activities – social interactions.
- Development of language through the verbalisation and discussion of mathematical problems.
- Questioning ‘Why’ more often to interrogate motives and avoid assumption.
Maths Curriculum Plans
Literacy (including subject vital vocab)
The ability to develop understanding and communicate mathematics requires students to be able to understand and correctly use:
- notation
- subject-specific language
- conventions
- representations.
Students need to be able to apply these literate skills when:
- constructing reasoning or mathematical arguments
- using mathematics in a range of contexts.
Mathematical language requires careful consideration, as many mathematical terms have alternative meanings to the same terms used in everyday context. For example, the term 'mean' has a different 'meaning' in everyday language, where it might refer to 'angry' or 'convey', whereas in mathematics it refers to 'average'. There is also considerable notation (e.g. m represents a pronumeral in algebra, while m represents metre in measurement), which needs to be learned, understood and used in context.
Students are also required to translate worded problems into mathematical symbols, carry out calculations and then interpret answers in the context of the original problem. As a result, they must communicate their answer using correct mathematical language, both as numbers and in sentence-form that makes sense in relation to context of the original problem. Other literacy skills include the ability to read, interpret and produce different textual forms, such as graphs, tables and mathematical diagrams. Language is essential in mathematics learning to enable students to develop their understanding of mathematics and to communicate their reasoning, both verbally and in written form.
Pupils have the opportunity to embed their literacy skills through the following:
- describe their thinking mathematically
- interpret mathematical information
- recall definitions and regularly use facts
- use mathematics to represent unfamiliar or meaningful situations
- explain their thinking
- make inferences about data or the likelihood of events
- compare and contrast related ideas and explain their choices
Click here for our Subject Vital Vocab List
Revision/supporting materials
Mathswatch (also an app) https://vle.mathswatch.co.uk/vle/
Corbett Maths https://corbettmaths.com/contents/
OnMaths https://www.onmaths.com/
BBC Bitesize GCSE https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z38pycw
BBC Bitesize KS3 https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zqhs34j
GCSE POD
Careers and progression
Mathematics teaches problem-solving, an invaluable skill in the workplace. Careers involving maths are found in almost every field, including medical, scientific and research communities. Each of these careers involves using some level of maths on a regular basis. Maths is used throughout the entire world! If you travel, your maths and numeracy skills will be recognised anywhere, and will help you gain employment.
Transferable skills you will learn by studying mathematics
- critical thinking
- problem solving
- analytical thinking
- ability to manipulate precise and intricate ideas
- construct logical arguments and expose illogical arguments
- communication
- time management
- teamwork
- independence
Mathematical Careers
Robotics Engineer
Robotics engineers design, test, and maintain robots! It’s a growing industry and the employment outlook is sunny. Before you quit your day job and run off to design a house-cleaning robot, hit the maths books. Most Robotics Engineers have a master’s or doctorate.
Medical Practitioner
Doctors use maths to write prescriptions for patients, to determine how much medication to distribute to patients based on weight, to determine Body Mass Index (BMI), and to interpret CAT scans. Physicians use maths in every day practice. For example, they use statistics and probability to interpret tests results. When a patient is treated for an illness, the probability is used to determine which type of treatment to use, if any.
Computer Animator
While most animation might be considered an artistic discipline, computer-based animation relies on strong principles of mathematics. Trigonometry helps rotate and move characters, while algebra creates the special effects to make images shine. Even artists have to pay attention in maths class!
Sports Person
Maths is used in many sports when people are creating plays, strategies, and for other reasons. Keeping score is another way maths is used. Some sports such as gymnastics involve complicated scoring systems where points are awarded for technique and artistic merit. Most people do not think about all the maths involved in watching and participating in a sporting event. When players are training, coaches will run scenario play through their heads and on paper and will use maths to determine the outcomes. A reliable coach takes into consideration all the variables adds up the possible outcomes. Using maths, the coach can determine whether the game will be won or not. Sports and maths go hand in hand for many reasons.
Hairdresser
Hairdressers use ratios, fraction and proportions when mixing hair dyes in the correct proportion. An incorrect mix could lead to a hair disaster and an allergic reaction. It is essential hairdressers have good numeracy skills so they can calculate percentage discounts, total bills and give correct change. They will also need to convert units and control stock. A hairdresser will need to measure quantities accurately and estimate angles according to the shape of the head to create a natural fall for the hair.
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