The National Curriculum

Mathematics underpins everything we do on a daily basis.  By studying mathematics our learners will be able to perform calculations, analyse information and make informed and reasoned decisions across a wide range of situations and settings.  A confident Sewell Park Academy learner will:

• have a solid and balanced understanding of the concepts from the six core branches of mathematics (algebra, number, ratio and proportion, geometry and measure, probability and statistics);

• be able to investigate and patterns; they should be able to apply problem solving techniques, recognise and describe patterns as relationships with generalised rules as well as drawing conclusions consistent with findings;

• be able to communicate effectively in mathematics; they will be able to use appropriate mathematical language (notation, symbols and terminology) appropriately and accurately in both oral and written explanations.  In addition, learners will also be able to use different forms of mathematical representation such as formulae, diagrams, tables and charts;

• learn to critically reflect on their findings; specifically, students are encouraged to consider whether their results make sense in the context of a problem and interpret the meaning of their results.

 

Aims 

The overarching aim for mathematics in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of numeracy, reasoning and problem solving by equipping pupils with a strong command of the fundamentals of mathematics.  The national curriculum for Mathematics aims to ensure that all pupils: 

 

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately;

• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language;

• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

​

Department View

‘You don’t have to be a mathematician to have a feel for numbers’

   John Forbes Nash

 

Mathematics is an essential part of our students’ education.  The skills mastered will be used throughout the whole life of our students from telling the time, managing their finances, cooking for their families, completing a DIY project or problem solving, as well as in their future careers.

 

Throughout their five year journey of studying mathematics at Sewell Park Academy our students are encouraged to explore how different elements of mathematics are integrated into the world around them; both in terms of practical problem solving, as well as the application of skills to a wide variety of contexts.  Emphasis is also placed on making cross curriculum links to showcase how mathematical fluency can facilitate learning, understanding and success in other disciplines and settings.  

 

Alongside the core curriculum of mathematical knowledge, we believe that it is essential for students to gain a 360 degree exposure to the history, developments, discoveries and emerging ideas within mathematics.  In addition, we also feel it is integral for students to see, and appreciate, the beauty of mathematics from symmetry in architecture to how it can be seen in the world of nature.  These elements are introduced and explored with our students through our wide ranging ‘big ideas’ programme. 

 

Our overarching purpose is to inspire and enthuse the next generation as well as introduce ideas of careers and options which students may not necessarily have previously.  We believe this will open the minds of our students to the diverse range of opportunities that success in mathematics provides.

​

Habitus Curriculum

This can easily be found within each student's “Habitus curriculum booklet”. These are issued termly and collate all relevant habitus content within them. There are dedicated tasks and pages to; Big ideas, Academic Literacy, Future You and Oracy.

 

Big Ideas

Across the five years of study of mathematics at Sewell Park Academy students are exposed to 24 different ‘big ideas’ which reflect some of the most interesting, thought provoking and practical ideas within mathematics.  None of the big ideas are part of the National Curriculum or examination syllabus but, instead, are designed to enrich and inspire students about the history, applications and broader ideas linked to our subject.  Further “Big Ideas” are explored within the extended reading tasks in Academic Literacy, these focus more on exposing students to the diverse cultures and histories of mathematics through the medium of reading and discussion.

 

The big ideas, and their delivery aligned with the curriculum map, can be found here.

 

Future You

A programme of ‘Future You’ careers has been developed with roles being linked as closely to units where possible.  The roles are linked to the year group and unit so, by the end of Year 11, every student will have been introduced to 106 different careers.  

 

A schedule of delivery & resources can be found within the following folder.

 

Academic Literacy

Academic literacy is an integral component of the mathematics curriculum and is delivered on a formal and informal basis throughout each topic as part of everyday lessons.  Students are encouraged to use, in correct context, mathematical language and terminology to describe concepts and ideas as well as to reason, justify and communicate their decisions and ideas.

 

The 2 formal components of our academic literacy built into teaching routines and practice are outlined below:

​

1 - Defining keywords by the use of Frayer Models.

Students will be exposed to 4-6 Frayer models a half term, each linking to the relevant topic being taught at the time. These will be referred back to throughout the half term by teachers to reinforce knowledge. 

​

2 - Extended reading tasks

Students will be exposed to an extended reading task once a half term. These pieces of text have been specially designed for the relevant year group and follow a theme. Term 1 - Famous Mathematicians, term 2 - Engineering, term 3 - Astronomy, term 4 - Sport, term 5 - Art & term 6 - Cryptography. Each scaffolded and differentiated to suit the individual year groups. 10 questions, based on the text read by the students, will be asked. Requiring the students to analyse and reason.

 

​