KS4 MATHEMATICS
The overarching aim of our curriculum is to develop an appreciation of the importance, beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject. Students are encouraged to think about multiple solutions and explanations to problems, to communicate their ideas as efficiently and clearly as possible and to justify and prove their results.
We aim to build students’ resilience and encourage them to regularly move from the general to the specific and vice versa. Students are then able to investigate, visualise and see the links between topics.
Overall, students will be well prepared for further study of mathematics and will develop skills and powers of analysis that will help them in the real world.
Exam board:
Exdexcel Mathematics GCSE (1Ma1)
How is this examined?
- Paper 1 - (Non - Calculator) 33% 1 hour 30 minutes
- Paper 2 - (Calculator) 33% 1 hour 30 minutes
- Paper 3 - (Calculator) 33% 1 hour 30 minutes
How is our curriculum sequenced?
Our Mathematics curriculum has been designed to ensure that all students succeed in their GCSE examinations. The order of our curriculum deliberately includes spaced practice and interleaving in order to support our students with recall and the retention of key knowledge needed for GCSE, and A level.
From the end of Year 9 to the end of Year 11 our students will focus on five key mathematical threads. Our curriculum interleaves these threads to allow mathematical knowledge and understanding to build naturally across the three years. The five threads are:
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Number |
Algebra |
Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change |
Geometry and measures |
Statistics and Probability |
Our classes are set and put into four bands (Bands A to Band D). Band D are the highest prior attaining mathematicians and Band A are our low prior attaining mathematicians. All groups study the same seventeen units listed below but will cover different content according to their band. If you would like to see the precise content covered in each unit for each band please click on the links below.
What is the order of our curriculum?
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Year 9 |
Term 5 &6: |
Number Four Operations, decimals, recurring decimals and standard form |
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Algebra Algebraic notation, expanding brackets, factorising and sequences |
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Year 10 |
Term 1 & 2: |
Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change Ratio and compound measures (similar triangles, area and volume of similar shapes |
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Geometry and Measures Perimeter, Area and Volume |
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Term 3 |
Statistics and Probability Statistical diagrams |
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Number Negative numbers, fractions, rounding and bounds. |
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Term 4 |
Algebra Solving linear and quadratic equations |
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Term 5 & 6: |
Geometry and Measures Angle properties |
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Statistics and Probability Probability |
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Algebra Linear, Quadratic, and other graphs |
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Year 11 |
Term 1 & 2: |
Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change Percentages and Gradients and Area under a curve |
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Number Primes, factors, bidmas, indices and surds. |
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Algebra Simultaneous Equations and Inequalities |
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Geometry and Measures Transformations (and circle theorems) |
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Term 3 & 4 |
Statistics and Probability Bivariate data, sampling and probabilities (vectors and proof for band D) |
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Algebra (Number for band A) Transforming graphs (catch up for band A and B) |
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Geometry and Measures Construction and further trigonometry |
How should I revise?
- Use your exercise books, ensure your notes are up to date.
- Use your textbooks, the whole course is covered by your Collins textbook.
- Ensure you have all of your module plans. Copies are in the Shared Drive and linked on your Google Classroom.
- Topic Lists for the GCSE course can be found here:
- Edexcel Foundation Checklist 1 (condensed) / Checklist 2 (list)
- Edexcel Higher Checklist 1 (condensed) / Checklist 2 (list)
- We recommend CGP revision guides.
- Mymaths - search for the topic you want to work on.
- BBC Bitesize - search for the topic you want to work on.
- Mathsgenie - for graded, topic based revision.
The importance of past papers:
Students who regularly use practice papers do better in their final examinations.
We know this is key to success so there is a link via your Google Classroom taking you to all of the past papers.
The specification for the course can be found here.