mathematics

The Mathematics Department website can be found at www.skinners-maths.co.uk

Years 7 – 11

All boys study Mathematics to GCSE and setting is used to encourage boys to progress to as high a level as possible.

Boys start in their “mixed ability” forms in Year 7, during which time we begin to learn their relative strengths. Year 8 sees the start of setting into two sets with two sets 1 and two sets 2. In Year 9 they are grouped into four distinct sets as they work towards their first GCSE module. During Years 10 and 11, we expand to five sets. All boys will take GCSE mathematics and some boys will be able to take Additional Mathematics, a free standing mathematics qualification which is excellent preparation for A level in Year 11.

Throughout these years the lowest set is kept as small as possible, enabling more individual attention to be given to boys who find Mathematics more challenging. This should ensure that all boys reach at least GCSE grade C standard. No pupil has failed to do so in the last seven years, and in 2010 89% of boys achieved an A or A* grade whilst no-one received a C grade.

All boys in Years 7 and 8 participate in the National Mathematics Challenge, the vast majority being awarded bronze, silver or gold certificates. In Years 8 and 9 the school takes part in the Mathematics Team Challenge against other schools.. Thereafter, many boys continue to take part in the Mathematics Challenge, a few reach the ‘Olympiads’ and achieve distinctions in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior competitions.

Sixth Form

Mathematics is a popular subject in the Sixth Form, chosen by about 70% of the Lower Sixth each year, and the Edexcel Modular course enables a range of options to be offered to suit the varying aptitudes and requirements of the boys. All boys can complete an AS qualification in the first year and may then choose to complete the A2 level the following year. Those who studied the free standing mathematics qualification in Year 11 have the possibility of continuing beyond A-level in the Sixth Form to achieve AS or A-level Further Mathematics. All courses involve Pure Mathematics and two applications chosen from Mechanics, Statistics and Decision Mathematics.