Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3
We firmly believe that Years 8 to 10 are vitally important in laying a strong foundation for future learning in mathematics. It is our aim in KS3 to ensure that each pupil develops the skills, knowledge and effective study habits that will ensure they fulfil their potential, both in terms of achievement at GCSE and also in being able to use mathematics in useful, real life contexts.
Assessment:
Each child’s learning is assessed regularly, to ensure progress is being made and extra support and extension can be offered when necessary. Methods of assessment include completion of classwork in jotters, tasks completed in homework books and marked by the teacher, end of topic tests and examinations in January and May. Assessments which are common to every child in the year group, called MATs, occur twice before Christmas and twice after Christmas. In mathematics these take the form of end of topic tests which include some questions from previous units as well. These provide very useful feedback for the pupil, the teacher and parents and are an important tool in helping pupils prepare for their examinations.
Books and Equipment:
Being well organised is a great skill for each pupil to develop to make their learning journey more comfortable, enjoyable and productive. At the start of Year 8 it is natural that pupils need some extra support with this and teachers, parents and pupils should work together to encourage effective habits of self-management.
The following is a list of the books that each pupil in Years 8 to 10 should bring with them to every maths lesson:
- A4 hard backed notebook
- A4 jotter with squared pages (2- 3 required per year)
- Textbook
- Maths Tracker – a small A5 print-out giving pupils information such as a time-line of the year, learning intentions for each unit, and assessments; most importantly this is where pupils record their progress and set individual goals and targets.
- Plastic folder for all books – we recommend that each pupils keeps all four of these books together in a maths folder
In addition pupils should aim to have the following items with them in every lesson:
- Pens to use when completing questions; a variety of colours is useful!
- Pencils to use for diagrams and graph work
- Rubber and sharpener
- 30cm ruler
- Protractor
- Compasses
- Whiteboard pen to use with mini-whiteboards
· Calculator – from Year 9 upwards. The recommended model is CASIO FX-83GTX
Textbooks
We primarily use the STP Mathematics series of books. Pupils have digital access to these via Kerboodle
