Curriculum Intent
We teach a skill focused scheme of work that connects mathematical knowledge with reasoning & problem
solving enabling students to develop an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics.
Students should view Mathematics as a creative and highly inter-connected discipline, providing the solution
to some of history’s most intriguing problems. Students should see that Mathematics is essential to everyday
life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and all forms of
employment. Students should receive a high-quality mathematics education that provides a foundation for
understanding the world, enables students to reason logically and mathematically, solve problems, develop an
appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and experience a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about
the subject.
Implementation
Our 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 nonroutine problems with
increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering
in seeking solutions
- enjoy exploring mathematical ideas and developing connections between concepts throughout the curriculum
- have the confidence and ability to apply the mathematics required to lead a successful working life
Key themes and concepts
Links to KS2
- Students should gain a deeper understanding, become increasingly fluent with mathematical concepts met at
KS2, and have a more developed understanding of the connections and links between these concepts.
Links within KS3 topics
- Students should develop further connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical
reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. Students should move fluently
between representations of mathematical ideas.
Relationship to wider KS3 curriculum
- Students should apply their mathematical knowledge in science, geography, computing and other subjects.
Consistent mathematical methods should be used in all maths related subjects across the school. By exposing
students to these consistent mathematical methods throughout their school journey they will be better
prepared to retain and build on their prior knowledge.
Links to KS4
- Students should have a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts, make rich connections and links
between these concepts and be able to apply their knowledge to solve unfamiliar multistep problems. They
should be able to apply their mathematical knowledge to other subjects and use a calculator efficiently.
Enrichment
Students are encouraged to widen their interests in Mathematics through the following opportunities: UK
Mathematical Challenges, UKMT team challenges, RET Maths Challenges, Mathematics Inspiration Lectures.
Additional activities can be found on the RET Enrichment Padlet https://padlet.com/teresarobinson/RET.
