Maths
Our Philosophy
At WCGS, we believe that mathematics is an exciting, creative area of thought as well as a useful tool in other disciplines and, in the words of Galileo, “the language with which God has written the universe.”
We are aware of the part the mathematics curriculum has to play in providing opportunities for students to think, solve problems and develop the capacity to reason clearly and, as a result, we encourage the stimulation of higher order thinking skills – such as analysis and synthesis – in our teaching.
We believe that students are more likely to engage with mathematics if they encounter it in the context of intriguing problems, and that this helps them to become more flexible thinkers.
Our Curriculum
We are currently in the process of developing a ‘problem-centred’ curriculum that will encompass Years 7 to 11 from September 2010. Typically around 50 -60 students take GCSE Mathematics early in Year 10 and then Additional Mathematics in Year 11. From September 2010, we will be following the AQA specification. At A Level, we follow the OCR MEI specification.
Our Department
We are a stable department of eight teachers, seven of whom are full-time. We have seven specialist rooms, all of which are equipped with interactive whiteboards. One of the rooms has 16 PCs for pupil use and we have a similar number of laptops available. Mathematics is by far the most popular subject at A Level and is studied by around 70% of the 6th Form. Further Mathematics is growing in popularity and we usually have around 25 students in each year.
Results
External exam results are good and improving. In 2009, over 80% of candidates achieved A/A* at GCSE and 83% achieved A/B at A Level.
Enrichment
We place great emphasis on encouraging pupils to enjoy mathematics and we enter a wide range of local and national mathematics competitions. In some years, puzzle and problem-solving afternoons are embedded into the curriculum and opportunities for recreational mathematics are given where possible. We provide support for all students applying to read Mathematics or related subjects at university, including those applying to Oxbridge.