Mathematics

Overview:

Our students receive an exceptional diet of Maths content that builds in depth from previous years, ensuring they gain a true understanding of the key strands of Maths. As a department, we spend time stretching students and delving into topics to deepen their understanding through problem solving and rich tasks that enhance their confidence and resilience. 

Key Stage 3

Students build upon KS2 prior learning; to make connections across a wide range of mathematical ideas covering the full breadth of the national curriculum. Through mastery learning, supplemented by the cyclical nature of the curriculum, students are appropriately challenged to make progress. 

Students at Broadlands Academy develop fluent knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts. We use manipulatives within the classroom to support learners to move from the concrete to pictorial progression, and then support their future progress by being able to reference them within the classroom. 

In Year 7 we start with number in all ability classes, as we get to know the students. The accessibility of this topic allows all students the opportunity to feel positive about the subject and to enable our approach to learning to be developed. This is particularly important as our students come from a high number of Primary Schools and have had a varied prior experience. By not streaming in the first weeks of Year 7 the teachers are able to contribute professionally to decisions that will be made on class setting. 

As a Maths department, we build in enrichment activities that complement our curriculum, highlighting both the real-life links to the subject but also opening student’s eyes to how Maths can be used in later life. We have developed links with local companies to use real-life data in our project work allowing students to see the value in Maths outside of the classroom.

Key Stage 4 : Edexcel GCSE Maths 

The GCSE course teaches students to develop their range of mathematical skills and techniques in order to solve numerical problems. Covering Number, Algebra, Geometry and Statistics, the GCSE Mathematics course is great for developing mathematical skills that will be applicable outside of school, at college, in work and beyond.

A first-rate Maths qualification is imperative for students to be successful after they leave Broadlands Academy. Most courses require a GCSE grade in mathematics and a significant amount of college places, apprenticeships and universities ask for a minimum of a grade 4 which is considered a pass grade. 

As a department we intervene with students to prevent them from underperforming through tutor time sessions, holiday intervention, directed revision and strategies in the classroom that ensure students meet, if not exceed their academic potential.