Maths

The maths curriculum and teaching at SRWA has been developed with the Sussex Maths Hub and is a blend of the most effective evidence-based approaches from around the world.

At the heart of this approach is Teaching for Mastery which aims for a deeper understanding of the subject.

For us, this means having a curriculum at Key Stage 3 and 4 which allows us time to cover topics in depth so we take longer over a particular topic area but we use generalisation, reasoning and problem solving to take understanding further.

We introduce new content through explicit instruction, using different representations and physical manipulatives to show the structure of a concept, and planning careful variation in the questions that we use.

During a maths lesson we will usually explore just one key concept. We think carefully about how to break down a topic into steps, and we always use mathematically correct language and notation.

We extend students’ thinking beyond the level at which they are currently being taught. We make frequent use of mini-whiteboards, questioning by the teacher, and we push for comprehensive explanations from the students.

We explore misconceptions, celebrate mistakes and use true/false to promote discussion. We present the maths in unusual ways in order to emphasize connections.