Maths College
The Maths C
ollege, one half of the Thomas Deacon Academy specialism, is unique in that we only teach one subject. With the equivalent of over 20 full time teachers we are one of the largest Maths teams in the country. We pride ourselves on our team spirit, our support for students and focus on achievement. In academic matters the College Leader, Richard Valler, is supported by Lead Teachers for each Key Stage.
- Tom Edwards & Chris Hawkins in KS3
- Tracy Hardy & Geoff Haynes in KS4
- Dave Cherry & Katie Wilkins in KS5
Our Advanced Skills Teacher, Mo Ladak, has a key role in supporting staff in the classroom and developing Teaching & Learning.
Maths Curriculum
Maths as a core subject is an entitlement for all students in KS3 and 4 and significant numbers continue into sixth form each year. In Years 7 and 8 pupils are taught in groups of maximum 22, benefitting from our links with Science and Technology.
This link also enables students to work on collaborative projects with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) focus. Teaching groups comprise students who are broadly of similar ability. Students may also be offered additional support with maths outside of their normal maths lessons.
Year 9 sees students start out on GCSE, (Edexcel Linear from September 2011). The current Year 11 will be the last year group to take Edexcel Modular with the first of three units (30%) examined in Year 10. Further units are taken in November of Year 11 (30%) and June of Year 11 (40%). In addition there are opportunities for study for other qualifications depending on their ability, these include:
-
ALAN – Adult Literacy and Adult Numeracy. A qualification run in conjunction with
Communications College, two on line tests equating to a GCSE when passed. -
CPF – Certificate in Personal Finance. A qualification with GCSE equivalence, based
on all aspects of money management. Taught as 3 units and assessed on line. -
FSMQ – Free Standing Maths Qualification. This qualification sits between GCSE and A Level
and attracts UCAS points for successful candidates and is desirable though not essential for sixth form maths.
Also in Year 9 students will access additional Maths (and English and IT) as part of the Achievement Pathways process as part of their personalised learning package should the need arise. Decisions are made on an individual level based on either or both English and Maths GCSE expectations.
Maths is a popular subject in sixth form, with significant numbers choosing to continue their studies beyond Y11. In Years 12 and 13 our students study for AS and A2 examinations with the option of Maths, Further Maths or Statistics available. We also introduced Use of Mathematics in September 2011 as an additional A level option, which continues this year.
Extra-curricular
The Maths College also offers a number of extra-curricular opportunities for students. These include the Maths Problem Solving club which meets fortnightly on Fridays, UKMT Maths Challenge Competitions at all three levels, the associated UKMT Maths Team Challenge, visits from the 'Enigma' code-breaking machine education team based at Bletchley Park, the 'First Lego League' robot-designing and programming club, which enters an annual competition sponsored by Perkins and Caterpillar