The development of mathematics has always gone hand in hand with the development of civilisation itself
Equipping learners
A truly international discipline, it surrounds us and underpins so many aspects of our daily lives, such as architecture, art, music, money and engineering. While it is creative and beautiful, both in its own right and in its applications, it is also essential for progress in other Areas of Learning and Experience.
What is more, numeracy – the application of mathematics to solve problems in real-world contexts – plays a critical part in our everyday lives, and in the economic health of the nation. It is imperative, therefore, that mathematics and numeracy experiences are as engaging, exciting and accessible as possible for learners, and that these experiences are geared towards ensuring that learners develop mathematical resilience.
Overcoming challenges
Applying mathematics requires strategic competence in the use of abstraction and modelling, and learners develop resilience, as well as a sense of achievement and enjoyment, as they overcome the challenges involved. Subsequently, mathematical activities teach learners not to be afraid of unfamiliar or complex problems, as they can be reduced to a succession of simpler problems and, eventually, to basic computations.
As they reflect on the approaches used, and on their own mathematics and numeracy learning, learners can develop metacognitive skills which can help them identify steps to take to improve performance. Through this they can become ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives.
Developing skills
In this Area, learners can encounter contexts involving health and personal finance, where they may develop the skills needed to manage their own finances, make informed decisions and become critical consumers. Experiences in this Area will help them learn to interpret information and data to assess risk, and to use their numeracy skills across the curriculum to make effective choices, all of which can help them become healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.
Ysgol y Grango has a structured timetable to deliver 8 one-hour lessons over a period of two weeks in Years 7, 8 & 9. There are also further opportunities for learners to experience mathematics and numeracy in other areas of learning such as science, geography and form time.
Homework
Homework can take a variety of forms including written tasks, revision exercises, online tasks and preparation for coursework or practical examinations. The aim of homework is to supplement the learning that takes place in the classroom and instil independent learning, a crucial lifelong skill. Staff aim to give ample time to complete homework tasks so learners should plan their own time carefully in order to meet deadlines. The frequency of homework can vary depending on the number of lessons offered over a fortnight.
The majority of subject areas make use of Google Classroom to communicate any homework requirements to the learners. I would encourage learners and parents/carers to check Google Classrooms regularly.
Parents/Carers should endeavour to provide a quiet space for their children to complete homework tasks. Where this is not possible, the school does provide such places for learners to access in their lunchtime or afterschool hours. Please encourage learners to discuss this with their tutors or progress leaders in the first instance.
Assessment
Assessment is an important aspect of a learner’s learning journey. Apart from indicating the current performance of an individual, assessments also inform learners and staff which areas they need to develop. At Ysgol y Grango, staff continuously assess a learner’s progress through a variety of methods. This could include informal assessment, such as quizzes or observations, or formal assessments, such as written tests or coursework.
Ysgol y Grango use an online system called Go4Schools to track and monitor individual learners. Learners and parents/carers can also access information such as reports and subject progress through their own Go4schools login.
Throughout Years 7 to 9 there are also opportunities for learners to sit nationally standardised assessments such as CATS, National Reading tests, National Procedural tests and National Reasoning tests, the outcomes of which inform future teaching and learning.