Mathematics

Aims

Sixth Form Maths class

  • to provide students with the mathematical skills needed in everyday life and to understand the contexts in which these skills are used.
  •  to enable students to develop confidence in the use of Mathematics and thus to achieve their full Mathematical potential. 

  • students should also develop technical skills that they can apply to a range of familiar and unfamiliar problems, and acquire the technical knowledge that may be needed for their study of other subjects. Above all, students should develop an attitude to the study of Mathematics as a valuable, worthwhile and useful subject and develop an enjoyment of Mathematics.  

     

Resources

The department is now based in a new development in Ormerod House. Seven classrooms are exclusively used for the teaching of Mathematics, each with data projection and DVD playback. One smaller room is used only for Sixth Form teaching. Every class up to the Fifth Year (Year 11) has a timetabled lesson in the ICT suite in Ormerod House. This facility consists of 28 new computers that offer the same software as available in the rest of the department, including Autograph, Cabri and Derive.

 

Courses Offered

In First to Third Year (Years 7-9), the current Numeracy Strategy is used as a starting point. Pupils are taught the same course, although the higher the set the greater the difficulty and depth in each topic. Sets are in place from the First Year to Fifth Year (Years 7-11). The sets decrease in size, so that the lowest set is also the smallest.

In Fourth and Fifth Years (Years 10-11), pupils follow AQA linear syllabus, which does not include coursework.

In Sixth Form, (AS/A2 Level) OCR syllabus A is studied, with examinations taken on a modular basis. The department has a wide subject knowledge and so students can opt for Mathematics with Statistics, Mathematics with Mechanics or Further Mathematics, in which both of the applications, as well as Decision Mathematics, are studied.

 

 

 

 

  

 

Teaching methods

A variety of methods is employed - exposition with class discussions, group- and pair-work, individual practice on curriculum problem material and on competition questions, investigation via computer software, extracting information from CD- Rom, practical sessions and a range of different activities in Mathematics Weeks.

 

Links with other schools

The department is central to the 2008-11 Independent State School Partnership scheme for Blackburn with Darwen, which has funding of over £260 000 over three years. This allows our pupils to take part in residential weekends, video conferences, borough revision meetings, Gifted and Talented sessions and puzzle days.