Staff
Mr S Forrest - Head of Department
Mr R Mullan
Mr R McClelland
Department Aims
To promote students’ curiosity, interest and appreciation of mathematics.
To develop students’ familiarity with appropriate mathematical concepts, principles, methods and vocabulary.
To develop students’ understanding of mathematics in its broadest context and to see how it relates to all aspects of their lives.
To encourage students to develop personal qualities such as being creative, problem-solving, working with others and self-management.
To enable all students to have equal access to mathematics and to develop their confidence through success.
To allow students to develop transferable skills and informed opinions about their mathematics in order to allow them to improve their employability skills.
Key Stage 3
All students study Mathematics at Key Stage 3 level. Students are encouraged to recall and apply their knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar situations and students are taught to follow both verbal and written instructions accurately. Our curriculum allows pupils to use Mathematics in everyday situations and builds on the connections with other subjects. Pupils are assessed in their learning through Continuous Monitoring during the year. Throughout Key Stage 3 each pupil’s performance is tracked and suitable support is available to those who are identified as requiring it.
Key Stage 4
The department follows the CCEA GCSE Mathematics Specification.
There are 3 assessment objectives for this qualification – using and applying standard techniques; reasoning, interpreting and communicating mathematically; solving problems in mathematics and other contexts.
Pupils are banded at the end of year 10 and will study either Higher Tier or Foundation Tier at GCSE level.
The two-tier modular course is assessed through one modular exam (45%) and one completion exam (55%).
Foundation tier – Pupils will sit M2 and M6 modules.
Higher tier – Pupils will sit M3 and M7 or M4 and M8 modules (other combinations of modules can be taken).
Grades available: -
M2 and M6 – C* to G
M3 and M7 – B to E
M4 and M8 – A* to D
The course builds on the skills and capabilities developed at KS3.
Careers in Mathematics
Mathematics is a requirement for almost every training course or career pathway. It is required for finance careers such as Accountancy or Payroll Management, construction careers such as Quantity Surveying and Engineering or marketing careers such as Market Research and Management Accounting.
Whatever career path you decide to follow you will require skills learnt in Mathematics. It is also an essential life skill to balance household budgets or for anyone who will be self-employed.
Those who wish to take Mathematics to a higher level should check out the careers on the link below: