Mathematics
“Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas.” Albert Einstein
Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Aims
The mathematics curriculum at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School aims to ensure that all students from all backgrounds:
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become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
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reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
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develop skills and resilience so they can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which students need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. During their mathematical studies students should develop connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.
We take individual needs and styles into account and seek to establish an aspirational, high-achieving culture. Students who grasp concepts rapidly are challenged through being offered rich and sophisticated problems before any acceleration through new content in preparation for key stage 4. Those who are not sufficiently fluent should consolidate their understanding, including through additional practice, before moving on.
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Details of the Key Stage 4 Maths subject content and examination board.
Key Stage 5
Full details can be found on our Sixth Form Subjects Offered page.