Our mathematics department ensures all students enjoy learning maths as they grow belief in their own ability to achieve successfully within the challenges they undertake daily.
We believe children will achieve when they become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics and learn through varied and frequent practice wit increasingly complex problems over time. With this confidence they can succeed by being able to explain their thinking, apply their reasoning and problem-solving skills to better understand the world around them.
We encourage our students to have high aspirations regardless of their entry point, tailoring our curriculum to focus on fluency and building confidence in our students. The basic maths skills we teach our students build up essential skills that they will use on a daily basis – as they develop their problem solving, reasoning, data analysis, communication, logical thinking and attention to detail, they will be independent adults with the ability to make sensible decisions.
Enrichment
Students will have the opportunity to partake in the UKMT maths challenge, as they utilise their mathematical reasoning and fluency to solve unique and interesting questions and challenges.
There may also be opportunities for students to visit the Royal Institution so they can understand how Mathematics and Science work together in the engineering sector.
Assessment
Students at BUH will either follow the Foundation or Higher curriculum. Students will sit three exams at the end of year 11. One non-calculator paper and two calculator papers.
Content from any part of the course may be assessed. A student must take all 3 papers at
the same tier.
KS4 Specification
Careers
Whenever the opportunity presents itself learning will be liked to a variety of careers. Students understand that learning maths ‘opens doors’ to careers like banking, architecture, engineering, data analytics, economics and more.
Curriculum Overview
| Year | Cycle 1 | Cycle 2 | Cycle 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | Algebraic thinking: Sequences, understanding and using algebraic notation, equality and equivalence Place value and proportion: Place value, ordering integers and decimals, fraction, decimal and percentage equivalence | Application of number: solving problems with addition and subtraction, solving problems with multiplication and division Fractions and percentages of amount Directed number: Operations and equations with directed number Fractional thinking: Addition and subtraction of fractions | Lines and angles: Constructing, measuring and using geometric notation, developing geometric reasoning Reasoning with number: Developing number sense, sets and probability, prime numbers and proof |
| Year 8 | Fractions and percentages: simplifying fractions, working with fractions, fractions and decimals, understanding percentages, percentages of amounts Probability: Language of probability, calculating probability, more probability calculations, experimental probability Angles (extend curriculum): Properties of shapes, angles in parallel lines, angles in triangles, exterior and interior angles, geometrical problems Averages and range (extend curriculum): Mean and range, mode, median and range, types of average, estimating the mean, sampling, avoiding bias | Ratio and proportion: Direct proportion, writing ratios, using ratios, ratio proportion and fractions, proportion and percentages Lines and angles: Measuring and drawing angles, lines, angles and triangles, drawing triangles accurately, calculating angles, angles in triangles, quadrilaterals Perimeter, area and volume (extend curriculum): Rectangles, parallelograms and triangles. trapezia and changing units, area of compound shapes, surface area of 3D solids, volume of prisms Graphs (extend curriculum): Coordinate linear graphs, real-life graphs, gradient of a line, y=mx+c, distance-time graphs | Sequences and graphs: Pattern sequences, coordinates and midpoints, extending sequences, straight line graphs, position to term rules Transformations: Congruency and enlargement, symmetry, reflection, rotation, translations Transformations (extend curriculum): Reflection, rotations, enlargements, describing enlargements, combining transformations Ratio and proportion (extend curriculum): Writing ratios, using ratios, ratios and measures, comparing using ratios, using proportion, proportion and graphs, proportion problems |
| Year 9 | Fractions and Percentages: Simplifying fractions, working with fractions, fractions and decimals. understanding percentages, percentages of amounts Graphs: Coordinates, linear graphs, real-life graphs, gradient of a line, equation of a line, distance-time graphs Probability: Language of probability, calculating probability, experimental probability, expected outcomes Transformations: Translations, reflection, rotations, enlargements, describing enlargements, combining transformations | Ratio and proportion: Direct proportion, writing ratios, using ratios, ratio proportion and fractions, proportion and percentages, proportion and graphs Line and angles: Measuring and drawing angles, lines, angles and triangles, drawing triangles accurately, calculating angles, angles in triangles, quadrilaterals Right angled triangles: Pythagoras’ theorem, trigonometry – sine ratio, cosine ratio, tangent ratio, finding lengths and angles using trigonometry | Sequences and graphs: Pattern sequences, coordinates and midpoints, extending sequences, straight line graphs, position to term rules Probability: Calculating probabilities, two event probabilities, experimental probabilities, venn diagrams, tree diagrams Transformation: Congruency and enlargements, symmetry, reflection, rotation, translations Multiplicative reasoning: Growth and decay, compound measures, distance, speed and time, direct and indirect proportion |
| Year 10 | Higher: Number, algebra and data Foundation – sets 3/4: Angles and averages and ranges Foundation – set 5: Number and algebra | Higher: Data, fractions, ratio and percentages, angles and trigonometry Foundation – sets 3/4: Perimeter, area and volume and graphs Foundation – set 5: Graphs, tables and charts, fractions and percentages | Higher: Graphs, area and volume, transformations and constructions Foundation – sets 3/4: Transformations and ratio and proportion Foundation – set 5: Equations, inequalities and sequences, angles |
| Year 11 | Higher – set 1: More trigonometry, equations and graphs Higher – set 2: Equations and inequalities, probability Foundation – set 3: Equations and inequalities, probability Foundation – sets 4/5: Angles, averages and range, perimeter, area and volume | Higher – set 1: Equations and graphs, circle theorems, more algebra Higher – set 2: Multiplicative reasoning, similarity and congruence, more trigonometry Foundation – set 3: Ratio and proportion, right-angled triangles, probability Foundation – sets 4/5: Graphs, transformations, ratio and proportion | Higher – set 1: Vectors and geometric proof, proportion and graphs Higher – set 2: Further statistics, equations and graphs, circle theorems Foundation – set 3: Multiplicative reasoning, construction, loci and bearings, quadratic equations and graphs Foundation – sets 4/5: Right-angled triangles, probability |