Mathematics

At St Luke’s Academy, all students will receive at least three hours of maths lessons per week. They build upon, consolidate, and improve both their mental and written methods for all four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, decimals, integers, and fractions.

In Year 9, the KS4 Edexcel GCSE course starts, and the students continue to build upon the skills that they have acquired. They are taught statistics in more detail, including how to draw and analyse different graphs.

In Year 9, all students are entered for the AQA Entry Level Certificate in Mathematics. This is a nationally recognised qualification that gives students the opportunity to achieve a certificated award while building students’ confidence in Maths. The specification is co-teachable with GCSE, to suit students who are studying both qualifications.

Subject content

Component 1: properties of number

Component 2: the four operations

Component 3: ratio

Component 4: money

Component 5: the calendar and time

Component 6: measures

Component 7: geometry

Component 8: statistics

KS4 Year 10 and 11

In Year 10 and 11, students are entered for the AQA Level 1 Functional Skills in Mathematics. It is diverse, engaging and essential in equipping learners with the right skills to reach their future destination. AQA question papers are designed with learners in mind and give students the best possible opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of maths, to ensure they achieve the results they deserve.

Subject content

1 Use of number and the number system

Students are expected to be able to count in steps of various sizes, including negative numbers; read, write and understand positive whole numbers to one million. They can order and compare whole numbers of any size, and fractions, ratios and decimals and recognise the effect of multiplying and dividing by powers of 10, 100 and 1000. They can identify, compare and extend a range of numerical and spatial patterns, use, understand and calculate with fractions, decimals and percentages and calculate simple interest.

2 Use of measures, shape and space

Students should have knowledge and understanding of terms used in household and general finance, for example profit, loss, cost price, selling price, discount, expenses, budgeting, balance, VAT, interest rate, salary, wages, gross and net pay, income tax, personal allowance and national insurance. They are expected to be able to work out simple relationships between common units of measurement to define quantities, also involving mathematical terms for position and direction. They can apply and use calculations with common measures including money, time, length, weight and capacity. They can visualise, draw and describe 2-D and 3-D shapes and use properties of 2-D shapes in calculations.

3.Handling information and data

Students are expected to be able to select, construct and interpret a range of statistical diagrams in various contexts; select and use methods and forms to present and describe outcomes. They can extract and interpret information from tables, diagrams, charts and graphs; apply simple statistics and recognise features of charts to summarise and compare sets of data; recognise and use the probability scale and interpret probabilities.

GSCE

Year 11 students have the option to study for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) in Mathematics. This provides a strong foundation for further academic and vocational study and for employment, to give students the appropriate mathematical skills, knowledge and understanding to help them progress to a full range of courses in further and higher education.

Subject Content

1 Number

2 Algebra

3 Ratio, proportion and rates of change

4 Geometry and measures

5 Probability

6 Statistics