STAFF
There are fourteen specialist mathematics teachers in the department who teach across the age and ability range in Key Stage 3 and 4. Nine of the team teach AS and A2 level Mathematics. All staff work as a dynamic, dedicated and very supportive and successful team. The mathematics department is one of the leading departments in the school.
Positions of responsibility within the department are as follows:
Head of Department (with overall responsibility for Key Stage 4)
Key stage 5 Co-ordinator
Key stage 3 Co-ordinator
3 Key stage 4 Module Co-ordinators
Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator
ITE Mentor
There is a HLTA and a TA who are dedicated to the department; they deliver catch up numeracy lessons to KS3 students as well as providing classroom support for SEN students throughout KS3 and KS4.
The department has a part time administrative assistant who works for 15 hours a week, this time is shared between the Mathematics and the English department.
ACCOMODATION/RESOURCES
The department is housed in a suite of 11 dedicated teaching rooms all of which have an interactive whiteboard and a data projector. Each member of staff has a networked laptop or desktop and there is access to the internet in each teaching room.
The department has benefited from the school’s specialist status funding and as a result is well resourced. There are 3 mobile trolleys containing a total of 36 wireless networked laptops for student use as well as a very wide range of subject specific software including Autograph, Omnigraph, Boardworks, Mymaths, Virtual image, Kangaroo maths and Emaths from Nelson Thorne. We have purchased licences to allow students to use many of the items of software at home.
KEY STAGE 3
Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are taught in ability sets, independent of other school setting arrangements, and receive 6 one hour lessons per fortnight.
In 2008, 89% of our Year 9 students achieved Level 5+ and 71% achieved Level 6+ in their SATS, these results continue an upward trend. Teacher Assessment Levels showed that this trend continued in 2009.
KEY STAGE 4
In Key Stage 4, students are currently taught in ability sets according to their SATs results and Teacher Assessments and receive seven one hour lessons per fortnight.
Students follow the AQA specification B (Modular) GSCE course where currently eight sets are entered for the Higher Tier and six for the Foundation Tier. The teaching of the GCSE course begins in March of Year 9 with students taking Module 1 in June of Year 9, Module 3 in March of Year 10 and Module 5 in June of Year 11.
The text used is AQA dedicated Nelson Thornes series, student textbooks are used in class and each student has a homework textbook to use at home.
In 2009 78% of our Year 11 students achieved a Grade A*-C in their GCSE Mathematics examinations, results which are well above average in the country and in the top four of the Leeds Authority.
KEY STAGE 5
In Key Stage 5 Mathematics is a popular choice amongst students, they can take AS and A2 mathematics, AS Use of Mathematics as well as AS and A2 Further Mathematics at Leeds University as part of the Further Mathematics Network. We currently have over 100 students studying Mathematics in the Sixth Form.
AS students have 10 one hour lessons per fortnight and A2 students have 9. The EDEXCEL specification is followed and students have the dedicated Heinemann textbooks. At AS Level, students take C1 in January of Year 12 and C2 and S1 in June. At A2 Level students take C3 and M1 in January of Year 13 and C4 in June. The 3 Use of Mathematics modules, Algebraic and Graphical techniques, modelling with calculus and applying mathematics, are all taken in June of Year 12.
In 2009 67% of our Key Stage 5 students attained grades A to C.