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Studying At The Spires College

Maths

  • Hours taught per fortnight (KS3): 8
  • Hours taught per fortnight (KS4): 8

The purpose of the Mathematics curriculum is to develop mathematicians. Topics are carefully sequenced so that once one topic has been learned it can be practised in new contexts, thereby allowing students to discover the interconnected nature of different mathematical concepts, as well as reinforcing and extending students’ knowledge and understanding of key skills. When students encounter new concepts, these are taught using a ‘small steps’ approach; the curriculum is broken down into manageable steps, so students can dedicate time to each aspect of a new concept, rather than being overwhelmed by trying to learn too much at one time. In this way, all students are fully prepared to succeed to the best of their ability at GCSE and beyond. For students wishing to develop their mathematical skills further, we offer Maths Challenge Club and the chance to compete in nationwide UK Mathematics Trust challenges.

The Mathematics curriculum is often separated into five key, interrelated aspects: algebra, number, ratio and proportion, shape, and data.  The table below shows how each of these aspects is developed from Year 7 to Year 11. As you can see, as well as starting algebra in Year 7, we also place heavy emphasis on Number work, as this underpins almost every area of mathematics.