Aims

1. Deep Conceptual Understanding

• Develop fluency in fundamental mathematical concepts, ensuring students can apply them in a variety of contexts.

• Emphasise the "why" as well as the "how", building strong number sense and algebraic thinking.

2. Progressive and Coherent Sequencing (5-year or 7-year curriculum)

• Ensure a carefully mapped journey from KS3 to KS5, where knowledge is built incrementally and revisited through interleaving.

• Bridge gaps from KS2 and prepare students for high-level thinking in KS4 and KS5.

3. High Expectations and Challenge

• Set high standards for all learners, including stretch for high attainers and support for those who struggle.

• Offer access to both foundational and advanced content, including opportunities for further mathematics and enrichment.

4. Problem Solving and Mathematical Thinking

• Embed problem solving, reasoning, and proof throughout all key stages.

• Encourage resilience, logical thinking, and independence.

5. Real-World and Interdisciplinary Applications

• Show how maths connects with science, technology, finance, and daily life to foster relevance and engagement.

• Prepare students for higher education, apprenticeships, and employment.

6. Equity and Inclusion

• Ensure all students, regardless of background or ability, can access and succeed in maths.

• Address and close attainment gaps through targeted intervention and high-quality teaching.

  
  

Expected Impacts

1. Strong Academic Outcomes

• High attainment and progress across all groups, including GCSE and A-Level performance.

• Improved outcomes in national assessments (top 10%) and post-16 & post-18 destinations.

2. Fluency, Confidence, and Enjoyment

• Students develop mathematical fluency and feel confident applying skills in new situations.

• Positive attitudes toward maths, reducing anxiety and increasing participation.

3. High Retention and Progression

• Increased uptake of maths and related subjects at A-Level and beyond (e.g., Further Maths, STEM degrees).

• Improved retention of key knowledge through spaced practice and retrieval.

4. Resilient and Independent Learners

• Students can tackle unfamiliar problems, reason effectively, and reflect on their methods.

• Development of metacognitive skills and a growth mindset.

5. Preparedness for Life and Work

• Students are numerate and ready to engage with real-world problems and financial decisions.

• Equipped with skills valued by employers (e.g., analytical thinking, data handling, logic).

6. Cohesive Departmental Practice

• A consistent, research-informed approach to pedagogy and assessment across year groups.

• Collaborative planning and CPD that enhances teacher expertise and subject knowledge.

Key Stage 3 & 4

Key Stage 5 (A Level) Maths & Further Maths

Students are to be set delayed milestones, with the aim of getting a more accurate reflection on their assessment of learning and not simplify performance. Using the spacing effect to help with long term retention.

Milestones are taken before any ARP across Key Stage 3. They are designed to reflect the Low Stakes assessment and follow the Pathways which are inside pupil’s books. They are predominantly skill-based questions, testing fluency with the topics taught in lessons. At the end of the year, pupils will also take a summative assessment containing questions on any topic taught during the year. There are also opportunities for retrieval practice in these assessments.

Y10 students will be given a GCSE paper once a term where they will be exposed to the types of questions they’re likely to be asked in Y11. Students will be given a revision list at least 4 weeks prior to the assessments and will sit a full exam series over the course of the year. Assessments are marked by the teacher then students will complete a QLA and use this for revision purposes for future assessments. At the end of Y10 they will sit a full exam series which will help with predictions for Y11. Staff are to use these assessments to guide their retrieval starters - questions that are answered poorly to interleave in ‘previous units’ columns.

Teachers can use these milestones as formative assessments and respond in future lessons aside from the review lesson, including choosing appropriate questions for retrieval practice as starters. The question level analysis can also help with split classes and to help focus interventions around closing the gap students.

At KS5 level, milestones are sat at the end of each half term: one for Pure and one for Applied. These are all new specification-style questions to ensure students are better prepared for their final examinations. All milestones are teacher-marked, and scores are inputted onto a QLA tracker. Feedback is given via a feedback sheet attached to the milestone: this contains a RAG rating for each question, space for teacher comments and a Dr Frost quiz clip number for each question so students can complete GfG questions, if not already set by their teacher as part of any intervention. Students also have a milestone tracker sheet at the front of their folder that is updated after each set of milestones.

GCSE Exam Board: Edexcel

A-Level Exam Board: Edexcel

A Parents' Guide to Sparx Maths

KS3 & KS4 Sparx is to be used to set homework tasks at KS3 & KS4. These are to be delayed helping with retrieval practice, this will help engage students in weekly and monthly review of core skills and topics. Students will also be rewarded with merits for completing additional quizzes on Sparx and completing their homework early. Sparx built in algorithm will respond to the students responses and judge the appropriate level to ask questions. The topic of the questions are predetermined through the schemes of work put together on Sparx, to follow alongside the maths schemes of learning for Y7-11. In the final term of Y11 students are set a weekly past paper to support revision for their upcoming real exams.

KS5 Students are given a question booklet for both pure and applied, teachers will set students questions to complete from worksheets covered in lessons, students are encouraged to complete all worksheets. Students who are struggling will be set additional intervention tasks to support key skills needed to succeed at A-level mathematics. Y13 students are set three fortnightly past papers that cover everything up to that point in the A-level curriculum to aid retention and develop exam technique.

Throughout the year, each student in each year will have the opportunity to sit the UKMT. The UKMT consists of 25 multiple choice non-calculator questions which extend students understanding of their curriculum. Follow on rounds are available for those students who rank well nationally.

Sparx Home Learning Club runs every Tuesday 3-4pm in the maths department, this dedicated hour is designed to support students who have struggled on their homework for that given week.

Y11, Y12 & Y13 Enrichment runs Wednesday 3-4pm in the maths department for set periods in the year. For Y11 this entails a ‘walking talking mock’ to develop exam technique and confidence in the run up to practice or real exams. For Y12 & Y13 this is a session for students to come and get support on any worksheets or three paper challenge questions. 

Success in maths can lead to a wide range of careers across many sectors. These include roles in engineering (such as civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers), computer science and software development, data science and analytics, and physics or scientific research. Finance and economics also offer strong pathways, including careers as financial analysts, investment bankers, accountants, auditors, economists, and quantitative analysts (quants). Maths-focused roles include mathematicians, statisticians, and operations research analysts. Education-related careers include becoming a maths teacher, lecturer, educational consultant, or curriculum designer. In the technology and innovation sector, maths supports roles like AI or machine learning engineers and cryptographers or cybersecurity specialists. Other fields that value mathematical skills include architecture, medical professions such as radiology and pharmacy, game development, and aviation roles like pilots and air traffic controllers. These careers all benefit from the logical reasoning, problem-solving, and analytical thinking that a strong background in mathematics develops.