The Mathematics Department
The Mathematics department at Presdales is a team of highly committed maths specialist teachers who aim to help all the students achieve their potential in the subject: Mr Payne (Assistant Headteacher: Director of Mathematics), Mr Baldwin (Head of Key Stage 5), Miss Johnston (Head of Key Stage 4), Miss McCallum (Head of Key Stage 3), Mrs Crane, Mrs Share, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Lanka, Miss Murrell and Mrs Stephenson.
We all teach a wide variety of age groups and attainment levels, from Year 7 right up to Further Mathematics at A level. We work collaboratively as a team to continually improve the quality of teaching so that all students receive a high quality learning experience in which they can flourish and develop into competent and confident mathematicians. We encourage students’ wider appreciation of maths by providing a variety of experiences, including our annual residential Isle of Wight Maths trip, super curriculum activities which give student the opportunity to deepen their learning outside of the classroom and through extra-curricular opportunities such as the UKMT Maths Challenge and STEM day activities.
Presdales School is a Partnership School with the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education. The Maths department usually supports the training of PGCE students each year. The Maths department at Presdales has a high reputation with the university and many of our PGCE student have gained full employment with the school the end of their training.
The Maths department works closely with the school’s Trustees, sharing the department improvement plan and how the team are progressing with key areas of development each academic year through Trustee board meetings.
Our Vision
The Maths department’s vision is to ensure that every student feels fully supported and confident to achieve their potential in mathematics. We wish to provide a variety of teaching and learning styles as well as appropriate and stimulating experiences to maximize the enjoyment, learning and success of our students.
Our Aims
• To enable every student to achieve their full potential in Maths
• To encourage students to take pride in their progress in mathematical understanding
• To ensure that the curriculum objectives are closely matched to each individual student
• To provide varied teaching and learning styles, with stimulating and challenging opportunities
Students are organised into Maths sets right from the start of the year, based on information from their Primary Schools and the KS2 SATS. The Schemes of Work for all students are carefully matched to the students’ abilities. Curriculum objectives are shared with the students and parents via Parent Information Evenings and the school website.
There is provision for a wide variety of practical, problem-solving, functional maths and investigational work to inspire students and enrich their understanding. We include group, paired and individual work to supplement whole class learning.
Students are issued with an online textbook. This is used in class and at home alongside other resources. Homework is integral to a student’s learning and this is set and automatically marked online on a regular basis. All students will be set homework on Sparx Maths, an online website that incorporates retrieval and consolidation to support students in strengthening their long-term memory.
Every student brings her own calculator to Maths lessons – we sell our recommended scientific calculator at cost price.
Year 8 students get the opportunity to go on a Maths trip to a PGL centre on the Isle of Wight.
