Mathematics is a central part of learning and teaches students the concepts of logic, proof as well as applications into many varied areas of life. It is a key building block for many subjects as well as being a subject in its own right in many different areas. Mathematics is seen as a crucial element of the school's academic life and is staffed by highly qualified teachers who have a wide range of interests.
At the Crypt School we recognise that a qualification in Mathematics is vital for all our students and we are justly proud of the achievements of our students at all levels. We demand the highest standards of our students and their success in recent years has shown a steady increase in performance. There are five dedicated Mathematics classrooms all fully equipped with interactive whiteboards and a comprehensive range of software to assist students in their understanding. The department is well resourced and also subscribes to the 'MyMaths' website.
We also take part in various Mathematics Challenges run by UKMT and also participate in Team challenges at Senior and Intermediate level with considerable success. We are always looking for ways to further enhance our student's experiences and have run cyber challenges over the past few years together with a recent visit to Bletchley Park. In addition the opportunity to take World Class Tests is provided to selected students in Years 8 and 9.
Students spend 6 hours a fortnight in Mathematics lessons, and have four 30-45 minute homeworks over the same period. Students are taught in four groups, placed in sets by ability in Year 8 and 9 and at the end of Year 9 undertake an internal SAT's test as well as taking Functional Skills, level 2.
In Year 10 and 11 students are taught in five groups and take two GCSE's, Methods in Mathematics and Applications in Mathematics. In addition, the top 2 sets also take GCSE Statistics. Students are expected to spend up to an hour on each piece of homework set.
In the Sixth form we offer a wide range of courses, including Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Statistics. All three applied modules are offered (Mechanics, Statistics and Decision) and we are always looking to expand the challenges our student's experience. It is satisfying to see a general increase in the demand for our Mathematics courses over the past few years and in particular for Further Mathematics. Students normally undertake ten periods of study per fortnight for each subject and there is an increasing number of our students going onto University to study Mathematics.
The Department
Head of
Department: Mr Peter Roberts
Second in Department: Mrs Penelope Bennett
Teachers:
Mr Richard Sayers
Mr Daniel Foster
Mrs Margaret Preston
Mrs Janet Waterston
Miss Kirsty Melia
We hope you enjoy exploring the information on this page. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about Mathematics at The Crypt School.
Key Stages 3 & 4
Textbooks
Current textbooks used are the Impact Maths Books in Years 7 to 9.
Maths & ICT
Most students in Year Seven choose to take part in the schools laptop scheme. The Maths department have a membership in the MyMaths website, which allows students to work through lessons, games and tasks to improve their Mathematics at their own pace. Laptops are also loaded with software used in other Maths lessons, including Autoograph and Excel. Students are encouraged to use the Internet to find other websites to improve their learning, of which there are many.
Every classroom has an interactive Whiteboard, and there are used to show concepts dynamically wherever possible.
Online
Resources
My Maths
KS3 SATS Papers
NRich
Extracurricular and Extension
-
Maths Challenges
- Junior Intermediate and Senior
Approximately half the Mathematicians in Year 7 and 8 are entered for the Junior Maths Challenge run by the UKMT. Selected students from Year 7 and 8, and approximately half the students in Year 9 and 10 are entered for the Intermediate Maths Challenge. Certain students in Year 11 are also selected to take part in the Senior Challenge.
These challenges are lively, intriguing multiple choice question papers, which are designed to stimulate interest in mathematics in large numbers of pupils. Success in these challenges is rewarded by either a Bronze, Silver or Gold certificate, and a lunch and presentation ceremony with the headmaster.
In addition to the individual challenges, four top students, two in Year 8 and two in Year 9, are selected to take part in a Team Challenge after a series of rounds in school. The UKMT Team Challenges promote mathematical dexterity, team working, and communication skills. They give pupils the opportunity to compete against pupils from other schools in their region.
In recent years our team has made it to the National Final in London, after success at the Regional Final.
World Maths Day
World Maths Day is an International Mathematics competition held in March. Students compete to complete mental arithmetic questions, with points being given for each correct answer. Prizes are awarded in school for the fastest round and the most correct questions answered over the day. In 2011, the event occurred on March 1st. 5.3 million students from over 215 countries combined to correctly answer 428,598,214 mathematics questions.
World Class Tests
World Class Tests are designed to be taken by the top 10% of the population in Year 9. The tests are in Mathematics and Problem Solving and provide a rich and varied approach to non-standard problems. They comprise both written and computer tests and require an open approach to logic and develop the student's thinking skills.
In tandem with the History department the Mathematics department runs a Biannual day trip to Bletchley park in Milton Keynes. Here students in Year 9 and 10 learn about the mathematics of the codes and ciphers used in the war, and the history surrounding Bletchley Park.
External Examinations
Year 9
In Year 9 all of our students sit a qualification in Functional Skills at level 2. These provide a basic certification for all students, showing their ability use Mathematics in a range of practical settings.
Year 11
In Year 11 all our students sit a minimum of two GCSE Mathematics qualifications, with the top two sets taking GCSE Statistics in addition.
The Mathematics exams our students will be sitting in 2011 are the AQA Linked Pair Mathematics papers - Applications in Mathematics and Methods in Mathematics. Neither of these involve any coursework.
GCSE Statistics is a further Mathematical qualification, based around data handling and probability. It provides an excellent base for the S1 applied module of A-Level Mathematics, and is offered to our top two sets.
Assessment is through exam at the end of Year 11, and a controlled assessment task in school in the spring term in Year 11. Teaching time is within the normal hours for Mathematics.
Further information may be found on the the AQA website.
Revision
Learning tips for all :-
- Plan your revision carefully
- Ensure you eat and get enough sleep and exercise.
- Work out the time at which you are most switched on and plan revision for these times.
- Spend time imagining yourself doing all the things that will add up to a successful revision session. Research shows that this helps you commit the time to your revision.
- Start taking revision notes in the form of mind maps.
- Stick to the three-times rule: revise everything at least three times in order to embed it in the long-term memory.
Useful websites for revision include :-
AQA - past exam
papers together with specifications.
MyMaths - The
school has a subscription for this site
Sam Learning -
The school has a subscription for this site
Emaths -
A free site with useful revision material
In addition, the school provides additional valuable resources for revision within the Maths Dept. section of the school intranet site.
