Maths

At Sponne we have very high expectations of our pupils in maths, ensuring that they receive high quality teaching and learning and understand the importance of their education in mathematics. We enforce these high expectations consistently, which leads to outstanding results being achieved by the pupils.
We aim to prepare pupils for adult life with the mathematical skills they will require in their everyday lives as well as in the workplace. In addition to this, we aim to encourage pupils to see the intrigue and beauty that surrounds mathematics and the pleasure that can be achieved by exploring the world around us from a mathematical perspective.

When pupils join us in year 7 the large majority of them are taught in mixed ability groups, encouraging team work and peer support. However, we do also have a group in both year halves for the highest achieving pupils and a smaller group for those that need that extra support.
We now follow the year 7 White Rose Scheme of Learning to help with continuity and confidence for our pupils as they start their Secondary school maths journey. In year 7 there is time to recap on work covered during KS2 as well as pushing on and developing into the KS3 curriculum. This format also carries on into year 8.
We measure progress throughout the year in lessons, but more formally through three summary assessments during the school year. These give great opportunities for feedback, and help pupils understand their strengths and potential areas to develop further.

In year 9 pupils are set based on ability in their two year halves, whereas once they get into year 10, the whole year group is put together and set into their main GCSE groups that the large majority of pupils will stay in for both year 10 and year 11. We currently use OCR for the foundation tier of entry and Edexcel for the higher tier, which has worked very well over the last few years in ensuring we achieve the best possible outcomes. Pupils are assessed regularly throughout the year and the data is monitored closely to ensure all pupils are making the expected progress and where they aren’t, early intervention can be put in place.

At A level we offer both Mathematics and Further Mathematics which are popular choices amongst the pupils at Sponne. In the Mathematics A level, pupils have the opportunity to study both Pure mathematics and Applied mathematics, which is a combination of Statistics and Mechanics. In the Further Mathematics A-level students can study a variety of modules including Modelling with Algorithms, Further Mechanics and Statistics and Further Pure mathematics.
We also offer the AQA Certificate: Level 3 Mathematical Studies (Core Maths). This is a relatively new qualification, equivalent to an AS level, and is designed for students who have achieved a grade 5 or above at GCSE. It helps to develop students’ mathematical skills and supports courses such as A-level Psychology, Sciences and Geography, as well as technical and vocational qualifications.
Pupils are again monitored closely and are often invited along to extra sessions at lunchtime or after school to help support them further.

The maths department work hard to ensure students become confident, well-rounded mathematicians, teaching them to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar contexts and developing problem solving skills. To help with this, we also provide a number of extra-curricular opportunities for students including the Junior and Senior Team Maths Challenge, the UKMT Individual Maths Challenges and our annual visit to the Maths Inspiration lectures and Big Bang event. We also offer a trip to Bletchley Park at the end of year 8 to pupils who all participate in our code breaking project.
Pupils at Sponne receive a high standard of mathematics education and keep on contributing every year to our continued success.