Introduction

Lessons in the maths department reflect the Church of England ethos of the school. We are constantly seeking to improve our practice so that we can make a difference for our young people who will shape the society of the future. We have exceptionally high expectations of attainment, progress and behaviour in all our classes.

The St. Lawrence Academy’s maths department offers a comprehensive, in-depth program focused on building knowledge and skills that are both demanding and encouraging for every student. Our rationale is that any child can succeed in mathematics and that throughout the course of the five years of our curriculum, they will acquire transferable skills and knowledge applicable to many other disciplines

Our curriculum is a strategically sequenced, comprehensive program that is systematically planned through a hierarchical small step approach. Our curriculum is designed and implemented to allow students to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, to reason mathematically, and to develop problem solving and analytical thinking skills in order to succeed academically, and also to handle problems in the dynamic real world of the twenty-first century.

‘Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics’
(Dean Schlicter)

KS3

Our year 7 and 8 students use the White Rose Maths Scheme, with modifications made to better meet our pupils’ requirements. Year 7 is a mix of consolidation of KS2 and KS3 National Curriculum and year 8 is a continuation and extension of the year 7 work. We use the small step mastery approach to maths teaching, hence number is at the heart of our curriculum because we believe that confidence with number is the first step to mathematical fluency.

We believe that depth of knowledge before breadth enables students to develop mathematical fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills that enable students to become confident mathematicians. We actively encourage students to collaborate and develop not only their written skills but also oracy using important mathematical vocabulary.

At the St Lawrence academy our students in year 7 begin working on their algebraic thinking skills including the understanding and use of algebraic notation and move onto working with place value and proportion. In the spring term they focus on the applications of number and this includes working with directed numbers and fractional thinking. Finally in summer they look at geometry and begin to construct, measure and develop their geometric reasoning.

Autumn term for our year 8 students begins with a focus on proportional reasoning, including ratio and multiplicative change and then moves to graphical representations on the Cartesian plane. In the spring term they work on their algebraic techniques and work with brackets, equations and sequences. Finally in the summer term we develop our geometric understanding of angles, area and transformations and begin to work with statistical data and measures of location.

Our year 9 students follow our initial curriculum which contains content from the National Curriculum and GCSE and forms a fluid transition between the two. This year allows our students to retrieve and embed the foundational mathematical knowledge that allows students to flourish and develop the mathematical skills needed for not only their exams but beyond The St Lawrence Academy. These topics include number operations and understanding, using algebraic expressions, formulae and equations, working with perimeter and area and finally geometry topics relating to angles, parallel lines and properties of shape.

KS4

At GCSE we follow the curriculum linked to the OCR scheme of learning and again we have adapted it to meet the needs of our school community, whilst still ensuring skills and knowledge are built on overtime and allow for strategically spaced retrieval throughout.

OCR Key information:
We chose OCR due to the greater number of available marks meaning a larger scope for the awarding of method marks within each question.


Foundation Tier ( Grades 5 to 1)

Paper Marks Duration
Paper 1 – J560/01 (Calculator permitted) 100 Marks 1 hour 30 mins
Paper 2 – J560/02Calculator not permitted) 100 Marks 1 hour 30 mins
Paper 3 – J560/03(Calculator permitted) 100 Marks 1 hour 30 mins


Higher Tier ( Grades 9 to 4)

Paper Marks Duration
Paper 4 – J560/04 (Calculator permitted) 100 Marks 1 hour 30 mins
Paper 5 – J560/05Calculator not permitted) 100 Marks 1 hour 30 mins
Paper 6 – J560/06(Calculator permitted) 100 Marks 1 hour 30 mins

Content overview: Content is arranged by topic and applies to both tiers of entry and may be assessed on any paper. The content broadly includes the following branches;
number operations and integers, fractions, decimals and percentages, indices and surds, approximations and estimation, ratio, proportion and rates of change, algebra, graphs of equations and functions, geometry, congruence and similarity, mensuration, probability and statistics.

Careers:

It is difficult to find a job or role that doesn’t involve mathematics at some level, however here are a few in demand careers.

Career Role Outline
Auditor Review financial accounts, suggest risk mitigation and cost saving measures.
Software Developer Solve software problems, convert queries into functional products and design programmes.
Statistician Analysis of data to enhance business operations, make decisions and predict outcomes.
Actuary Analyse financial risks and uncertainties, using maths 
Economist They research the relationship between resources and production, influencing policies and trade agreements.
Chartered Accountant Financial advice, audit company accounts and provide insights into financial records to maximise potential.
Quantity Surveyor A quantity surveyor will manage construction costs, ensure projects adhere to legal standards and budgets. 
Cryptographer In an increasingly digital world cryptographers developing security systems to encrypt sensitive data using algorithms is vital for safeguarding information.

These careers reflect the diverse applications of mathematics across industries. With ever growing reliance on data and technology, mathematical expertise is not only valuable but essential for shaping our modern world.