Mathematics

The ambition of the Mathematics Faculty at Golborne High School is to mould young people into logical thinkers, able problem solvers and lifelong mathematicians as a product of stimulating and reflective teaching. Our expert team of enthusiastic specialists strive to promote interest, curiosity and enjoyment in the learning of Mathematics by providing a supportive yet challenging environment, where pupils believe they can achieve.

Our principal focus is to develop the confidence of our young mathematicians, dispelling any negative perceptions associated with the complexities that mathematics can bring. In Year 7 to 9 students build on their understanding of the number system and arithmetic skills from KS2, exploring different representations of key concepts to, not only develop a secure foundation of mathematical knowledge but also create lifelong learners through sustained success and intrigue.

All Year 7 students participate in Times Table Rock Stars programme throughout the year to improve their speed and accuracy in recalling times tables. Students compete in a variety of challenges ranging from weekly timed tasks in lessons to ‘Battle of the Bands’ and the Celebration Assembly where they can ‘Beat their Teacher’. We strongly believe that building quick recall and confidence with times tables provides the elementary building blocks enabling our students to progress through their learning.

The mathematics curriculum follows a series of carefully sequenced small steps that, in conjunction with the National Maths Curriculum, develops learners’ fluency whilst enabling our learners to communicate mathematically and solve problems in a variety of contexts.

Through the diverse set of contexts the Mathematics Faculty aims to develop responsible citizens with an awareness of the world around them, linking the mathematical concepts to other subject areas, including Science, Geography and Design Technology. Our “through” curriculum enables learners at GHS to continuously build on their prior learning with dedicated curriculum revisiting time embedded into our scheme of learning. These scheduled drop-down weeks support learners throughout their five-year journey to develop an invaluable revision skillset to, not only maximise their potential in GCSE Mathematics (Edexcel) but support them in later studies.

We continue to develop the love of mathematics through our long-standing involvement with the UKMT Mathematics Challenge which offers our gifted mathematicians the opportunity to demonstrate their problem-solving skills in less routine situations. We have developed links with St John Rigby College and Liverpool University through success in their annual Mathematics challenges. Furthermore, Golborne High School works closely with local schools to host primary challenges and support the delivery of GCSE revision programmes. The mathematics department run a number of clubs including artful maths club (based on the book by Clarissa Grandi) where pupils complete activities such as origami, curves of pursuit and impossible objects.

In mathematics, we endeavour to cultivate a safe and encouraging environment, where students feel at ease in taking risks and value the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. We place great emphasis on instilling a growth mindset in our learners where mistakes are expected, inspected, corrected and most importantly respected as we drive to deepen understanding of the mathematics. This culture supports our pupils in achieving their academic goals, alongside developing the fundamental mathematical skills to allow them to succeed in the next stage of their education, training or career path. Our curriculum in mathematics prepares our learners for the future, enabling them to pursue numerous post-16 options, including A-Level Mathematics, A-Level Statistics, A-Level Economics, Core Maths and apprenticeship training courses.

We have a number of useful websites which we recommend to support with learning and revision in mathematics:

https://www.drfrostmaths.com/ - (an individual log in for this will be provided by school)

https://corbettmaths.com/contents/

https://www.mathsgenie.co.uk/ - (mainly aimed at GCSE students)