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Mathematics

Background

The Mathematics Department is housed in a suite of 7 specialist classrooms, each of which is equipped with an interactive whiteboard.

Maidstone Grammar School for Girls is a specialist Science with Mathematics College. As such members of the department are involved with outreach work at local primary schools and with local community groups.

Staff

Mrs S Squibb (Head of Mathematics)
Mrs E Brownridge (Second in Department)
Mrs S Lim (i/c Gifted and Talented students)

Mrs F Sharp

Ms D Stanley (Deputy Headteacher)
Mrs G Wilkinson (Assistant Director of 6th form)

Miss F Ling

Mrs S Webb

Miss G Craig

Mrs G Main

Specialist Status Work

Over the past few years, the Mathematics department has established links with several feeder primary schools.  Outreach work has included:

  • Brunswick House and Roseacre Primary Schools - extension work with Year 6
  • Leybourne and Kings Hill Primary Schools- problem solving and gifted and talented days;
  • Loose Infants and Palace Wood Junior School- problem solving days.

The department has also organised an AS Revision Day and several A level topic days aimed at A level maths students from local high schools.

Our own students have benefited from several enrichment days. These have included:

  • Maths/ Personal finance enrichment days;
  • Maths/ English cross-curricular day;
  • Code-breaking day;
  • Problem solving day.

Various external speakers have also come in to school to address groups of girls.

 

Maths at Key Stage 3

We use the SMP Interact Series of text books throughout Key Stage 3. In Year 7 each girl is given their own copy of two text books – their main text book is used predominantly in class whilst the parallel practice book is kept at home and is used for homework. The text book series is designed to incorporate the Numeracy strategy and provide students with a wealth of resources and practice. Girls receive six one hour mathematics lessons each fortnight.

The department has a library of rich learning resources (such as hexagonal jigsaws and matching games).

Girls are taught in form groups for mathematics in Year 7, but are streamed from Year 8 onwards. The two (parallel) top streams work at an accelerated pace. Girls take their SATs examinations at the end of Year 9 and sit either the 5-7 or the 6-8 tier papers.

Equipment that should be brought to each maths lesson
Girls are expected to have the following equipment, which they should bring to all their mathematics lessons:

  • Pen (blue or black)
  • Pencil (HB)
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Ruler
  • Rubber
  • Calculator (the department recommends the CASIO FX 83 MS).
  • Protractor
  • Pair of compasses.

They should also make sure that they have their exercise book, text book and planner at all their maths lessons.

Junior Mathematics Challenge
All Year 7 students are entered for the Junior Mathematics Challenge which takes place in April. Each year we obtain considerable success in this national competition.



Maths at Key Stage 4

Syllabus
Edexcel GCSE Mathematics (Linear) Higher tier
Edexcel GCSE Statistics – Higher tier


Information
Each year nearly every girl achieves at least a level 6 in their SATs examinations (with most girls achieving a level 7 or higher). Girls continue to be taught in sets for Maths in Years 10 and 11.  The two parallel set 1 groups will complete the GCSE course in Statistics in Year 10.  All the other girls take their GCSE Mathematics examinations at the end of Year 11, with set 2 students additionally sitting GCSE Statistics at this time.

Work and progress is assessed in a number of ways, including classwork and homework; end of unit progress assessments (sometimes completed as formal tests); end of year 10 examinations; mock GCSE examinations; and ultimately the GCSEs.

A single piece of coursework is required for the GCSE Statistics course. This is completed in the spring term (Year 10) by set 1 students and in December/January (Year 11) by set 2 students.

Mathematics at Advanced Level

Information
Students are normally expected to obtain a grade A or A* in their GCSE Mathematics examination if they wish to continue with Mathematics in the sixth form. The department also offers Further Mathematics, for which an A* at GCSE is recommended. The modules studied in Years 12 and 13 are as follows:

Edexcel A Level Mathematics:
* Year 12: Core 1, Core 2 and Statistics 1
* Year 13: Core 3, Core 4 and Mechanics 1
Students sit all their module examinations in May/ June. All module examinations are 1 hour 30 minutes long.

Edexcel Further Mathematics
* Year 12: Further Pure 1, Decision 1 and Decision 2
* Year 13: Further Pure 2 or 3, Statistics 2 and Mechanics 2.
All module examinations are 1 hour 30 minutes long.

Each A level module (whether in Mathematics or Further Mathematics) will be taught over three lessons per fortnight (equating to about 40 hours teaching time).

Before commencing the course, prospective A level students are provided with an Induction booklet. This covers the material that students are expected to know before beginning the course. Students take a test on this material at the start of September. Students failing to pass this test are expected to complete a programme of additional work before re-sitting the test in October.

Home learning and independent study
The school has a general expectation that A level students will spend about 3-4 hours per module per fortnight on home learning and independent consolidation. Teachers will set homework on a regular basis but students are also expected to supplement this with their own additional study.

Lunchtime help sessions
The department offers twice weekly help sessions sessions to support A level Mathematics students. Students are encouraged to attend these sessions if they need:
• support with homework questions
• help with work covered in class
• help catching up with work missed due to illness/ university interviews.
Surgeries take place each Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime from 13.50 to 14.20 in B6.

Students are provided with a CD ROM containing the syllabus, revision notes and past examination papers.

 

Useful Web-Sites

The following websites are useful for revision purposes.

Key Stage 3:

GCSE:

A level:

Other useful websites:

 

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