Studying Mathematics at Bloomfield Collegiate School

Curriculum Leader: Mrs Barrett (Acting CL until September 2024)

Our vision

Our vision within the mathematics department is to give students the mathematical and numerical skills with which they can thrive academically and function successfully; a curriculum which ignites their curiosity and prepares them well for everyday life and future employment.

The curriculum will

Connect mathematics to real-world scenarios to demonstrate its relevance and encourage student engagement.
Foster deep comprehension of mathematical concepts rather than simply rote memorisation.
Promote curiosity-driven exploration and discovery to encourage active participation and ownership of learning.
Explore the cultural and historical significance of mathematical concepts to broaden students’ perspectives and appreciation for the subject.

Staff will

Provide varied instructional approaches to cater to diverse learning styles and abilities within the classroom.
Use formative assessment strategies to continually monitor student progress and adjust teaching methods accordingly.

Pupils will have opportunity to

become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
communicate, justify, argue and prove using mathematical vocabulary.
Develop their problem-solving skills and critical thinking to enable them to apply mathematical principles in various contexts.
Experience peer-to-peer learning through group activities, projects, and discussions
Use technology such as interactive simulations, graphing calculators, and educational software to enhance learning experiences and explore mathematical concepts dynamically.

Key Stage 3 Topics

In Years 8, 9 and 10 we cover the following topics.

Number
Proportion and Rates of Change
Algebra
Geometry and Measures
Probability
Statistics

At KS3 we use the CGP Book 1 (Y8), Book 2 (Y9) and Book 3 (Y10) textbooks

GCSE Specification and summary

At GCSE we follow the CCEA Syllabus

The detailed specification can be found in the CCEA Website – Specification

GCSE Mathematics is a unitised course and pupils will be entered for a unit worth 45% at the end of Year 11 and a completion module worth 55% in Year 12.

The first unit is taken in Year 11 from M2, M3 or M4.  The completion unit is taken in Year 12 and will be from M6, M7 or M8. The most common combinations are as follows and can lead to the maximum possible grade stated;

M4/M8 up to A*

M4/M7 up to A

M3/M7 up to a B

M3/M6 up to a B

M2/M6 up to a C

GCSE Further Mathematics

The detailed specification can be found in the CCEA Website – Specification Pupils will be assessed through 3 examination papers; the first is Pure Mathematics (worth 50 % of the overall grade) and the other two studied at Bloomfield are Mechanics and Statistics.

A ‘Level Specification and summary

At GCE we follow the CCEA SyllabusCCEA Specification

The syllabus is divided into two main modules of study – Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics (Mechanics and Statistics). The main topics in each are;

Pure Mathematics:

Algebra and Functions, Co-ordinate Geometry in the (x, y) Plane, Sequences and Series, Trigonometry, Differentiation, Integration, Exponential Functions and Logarithms, Vectors and Numerical Methods.

Applied Mathematics:

(Mechanics) Quantities and Units in Mechanics, Kinematics, Forces and Newton’s Laws, Moments, Impulse and Momentum.

(Statistics) Statistical Sampling, Data Presentation and Interpretation, Probability, Statistical Distributions, Probability, Statistical Hypothesis Testing.

Independent learning opportunities

KS3

Corbett Maths for videos, additional worksheets and revision material https://corbettmaths.com/

BBC Bitesize for online quizzes by topic

KS4

Corbett Maths for videos, additional worksheets and revision material https://corbettmaths.com/

BBC Bitesize for online quizzes by topic

Maths Made Easy website for videos, worksheets and revision material https://mmerevise.co.uk/

KS5

Maths and Physics tutor website for question practice by topic https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/ Dr Frost online learning platform for videos, worksheets and past paper question practice. Pupils are given access to this upon starting the course.