What will students be studying in Maths this year?

In Year 9 students will work through the first third of Edexcel GCSE Maths. The second third is completed in Year 10, and the finished off in Year 11. There are 3 tiers within the GCSE course. The Higher Tier, Foundation Plus Tier and the Foundation Tier. Students can move between these based on the outcomes of the Unit assessments that they do. The results must be consistent i.e. one good/bad assessment will not move you down or up, but a few in a row suggests a change is appropriate)

What do we expect of the students in the classroom?

The students should turn up to every maths lesson with the correct equipment ie in addition to the normal items a calculator, ruler, protractor and compass. They should pay close attention in class and ask if they do not understand any part of the lesson. They should expect to be asked questions throughout the lesson as we run a “No hands up policy” when asking questions to the group. They must bring with them their workbook and their exercise book every lesson. They will be expected to create revision cards towards the end of the unit in preparation for the end of unit assessment.

What homework are they set?

Students will be set homework each week. Some may be longer than others. These range from written work to one of the three online platforms that we use:

• MyMaths.co.uk
• Hegartymaths.co.uk
• DrFrostmaths.co.uk

Students should start to attempt the work soon after it is set (and not the night before the deadline) so that if they cannot understand a large part of them they have time to come to see their teacher to ask questions before the work is due.

What are the major assessments this year?

At the end of each Unit students will complete a test on the topics they have just covered. After the test they will receive a detailed breakdown of their results, we call this a PLC (Personalised learning checklist). They will be given the opportunity to go through the questions that they may have not done as well on to be able to improve their understanding before moving on. They will have other exams as part of the whole school assessment process these will involve questions from more than one Unit, this helps them with recall and retention of the information.

What should my child do if they feel that they are struggling in Maths?

In the first instance, they should speak to their subject teacher. They will arrange an opportunity to go through the relevant areas, if necessary at lunchtime or afterschool. They should try to identify specific areas which they are finding a challenge so that support can be targeted. For some areas we record our own videos of the topics that students can view to help them understand. There is also a wide variety of online resources that we can direct them to.

How can I support my child?

Please do not worry if you do not understand the topics, you do not have to. The best way to provide general support is by talking to them about their work in the subject and how things are going. Please encourage them to talk to their teacher about any topics they don’t understand, make sure both you and your child are aware of how to access all the online support available. We provide video guides on how to access all of these.

What kind of independent work should my child be completing?

Students should be completing the regular homework assignments to progress in the subject. There will be extension work in the Workbooks at the end of each objective, optional questions to stretch those who are talented, but if these are not sufficiently challenging tell your teacher. If you are stuck on a topic at home we subscribe to the HegartyMaths website which will take you through any topic with a tutorial and give you questions to practice. There are more resources outlined on the Maths Website www.chsgmaths.com. If these do not help please ask your daughter to see her teacher.

Who can I contact for further advice or information?

Please feel free to contact your current maths teacher at first instance or Mrs Foley, Director of Math: cfoley@carshaltongirls.org.uk.