Mathematics at RPA

Our curriculum aims to ensure that students become fluent in their mathematical skills through varied and frequent practice on content that is increasingly complex and contextualised. 

The breadth and depth of the curriculum fosters conceptual understanding by striving to develop a well-connected knowledge base of facts, methods, and strategies for routine and non-routine problem-solving. The curriculum builds up skills in problem solving, thereby encouraging independence, resilience, and perseverance through extended interactions with rich tasks. 

The curriculum seeks to develop mathematical sophistication by building on understanding gained through the Key Stages. Ultimately, the curriculum seeks to motivate enjoyment of the discipline by growing self-confidence in students’ ability over time. The constant introduction, extension, and revisiting of content throughout the Key Stages through our spiral curriculum, ensures students develop both know-how and know-why over time, whilst enabling them to apply their knowledge throughout the different stages in their education and into progression to their careers.

Our mission in the Department of Mathematics is simple:

Ensuring all students and staff achieve as highly as possible by being an excellent department with very high standards and expectations which seeks the realisation of every student’s full potential. We aim to ignite in our learners a lifelong passion for mathematics and a deep appreciation of its authentic applications in the world we live in.

Our chief goal is modest - we want to encourage our students to study either mathematics or mathematics-related STEM subject(s) at a higher level or enter a mathematics-related STEM career. Regardless of their calling, we aim to have inspired our students to pursue their aspirations to the fullest, taking with them the mathematical skills and knowledge cultivated through their time at RPA, using these to make informed decisions and “find their remarkable”.

We want our students to leave RPA as knowledgeable, engaged, responsible citizens and lifelong learners who will adapt confidently in society to invoke positive change, interrogate and examine the world of mathematics around them, and continue remembering the maths at Richmond Park Academy.

We strive to foster a deep-rooted academic excellence and rigour in mathematics, one which transcends barriers to learning and one which is inclusive of and accessible for all. We aim to empower our learners with the independent ability to solve authentic mathematical problems effectively and to make an accurate use of mathematical methods.

We follow a cyclic approach which allows ALL children to revisit the key strands of the national curriculum, which we believe allows progressing through the journey from fluency through to rich and complex questions.

We embed skills and have a specific focus on reasoning mathematically using a mastery approach to learning. 

1. Through highly effective teacher modelling, children are exposed to concrete manipulatives to underpin an early understanding of the fundamental mathematical concepts taught.

2. Learners are given the opportunity to practise the key concepts to develop fluency.

3. The mastery approach challenges learners through a series of probing questions that progress from fluency through thinking, explaining, and reasoning through to using a range of concrete, visual and abstract methods to develop deeper conceptual understanding.

What we do when

Year 7

In Year 7, students will have four 80-minute maths lessons a week, exploring ideas across all three disciplines in science. Year 7 content builds on the Primary National Curriculum, seeking further depth of understanding. The programme of study suggests ‘pupils should make rich connections across mathematical ideas’. This is supported through units focusing on key mathematical strands and behaviours. These topics can then be interrelated to encourage pupils to make connections between mathematical ideas. The units of work are ordered to enable application of earlier skills within later units.

These are as follows:

• Core curriculum

• Unit 1 (4) Decimals and measures

• Unit 2 Number skills

• Unit 3 Expressions, functions and formulae

• Unit 4 (1) Analysing and displaying data

• Unit 5 Fractions

• Unit 6 Probabilitity

• Unit 7 Ration and proportion

• Unit 8 Lines and angles

• Unit 9 Sequences and graphs

• Unit 10 Transformations

Year 8

In Year 8, students will have four 80-minute maths lessons a week, exploring ideas across all three disciplines in maths. Year 8 content is distinct from and more challenging than Year 7 content. These topics can then be interrelated to encourage pupils to make connections between mathematical ideas.  For example, reasoning with Fractions brings together the concepts of fractions and probability so that explicit connections are explored. The units of work are ordered to enable application of earlier skills within later units and connectivity. 

These are as follows:

• Core curriculum

• Unit 1 Number

• Unit 2 (4) Expressions and equations

• Unit 3 Statistics, graphs and charts

• Unit 4 (2) Area and volume

• Unit 5 Real-life graphs; Unit 9 Straight-line graphs

• Unit 6 Decimals and ratio

• Unit 7 Lines and angles

• Unit 9 Calculating with fractions

• Unit 9 Straight-line graphs

• Unit 10 Percentages, decimals and fractions

Year 9

In Year 9, students will have four 80-minute maths lessons a week, exploring ideas across all different topics in maths.

These are as follows:

• Core curriculum

• Unit 1 Indices and standard form

• Unit 2 Expressions and formulae

• Unit 3 Dealing with data

• Unit 4 Multiplicative reasoning

• Unit 5 Constructions

• Unit 6 Sequences, inequalities, equations and proportion

• Unit 7 Circles, Pythagoras and prisms

• Unit 8 Graphs

• Unit 9 Probability

• Unit10 Comparing shapes 

Key Stage 4

Mathematics is a core subject and students will enjoy the rich experience of studying mathematics as an academic discipline, while also exploring its importance in analysing problems related to both the real world and to mathematics itself.

The course content has been organised into 5 topic areas: 

Number, Algebra, Ratio-proportion & rates of change, Geometry & measures and  Probability & Statistics.

GCSE (9-1) Mathematics (PDF)

Year 10 and Year 11 follow the Edexcel GCSE Mathematics syllabus which is examined at the end of Year 11. Most pupils sit the higher tier; however, it is a possibility that a small number will be entered for the foundation tier. This is reviewed after the mock examinations held after Christmas in year 11.

Key Stage 5

These courses are available to students who have achieved at least grade 7 in GCSE Mathematics. 

The department currently follows the Edexcel specification in Mathematics for Year 13 (9371 – A level). The department structure of the teaching designed for co-teaching the A level. Students who elect to study Further Mathematics A level, will concurrently learn both the A Level Mathematics and the A Level Further Mathematics content.

A Level Mathematics (PDF)

The A level course is in two sections: Pure and Applied Mathematics. In Pure, the major area is developing skills in the study of functional forms, relationships, and properties in a rich variety of contexts from the foundations built at GCSE.

The applied content includes both mechanics and statistics. Mechanics involves looking at problems such as projectiles; whether they are rockets or footballs; and the stability of systems such as ladders. Links with aspects of Physics are incredibly strong. Statistics involves learning how to analyse data and decide when significant results, such as the effectiveness of a new drug, have been established. Statistics has applications in Biology, Geography, Economics and Business Studies.

Who to contact

Khetam Jaber - kjaber@richmondparkacademy.org

Useful Websites for Revision