Mathematics

Intent

In the Mathematics Department, our aim is simple and ambitious: to help every student grow into a confident, capable, and successful mathematician. We want our pupils not only to achieve highly, but also to develop a genuine enjoyment of the subject. Through high‑quality teaching, strong relationships, and a culture of high expectations, we strive to create classrooms where students feel supported, challenged, and inspired to excel.

We are committed to developing resilient, independent learners who believe in their ability to succeed. Mistakes are treated as valuable opportunities for learning, and students are encouraged to take risks, ask questions, and persevere through challenge. By building confidence alongside competence, we ensure that every student has the foundations they need to thrive.

At Key Stage 3, students secure the essential building blocks of mathematics. The curriculum is carefully designed to help pupils understand how key concepts connect and interweave, giving them a strong and coherent foundation. A mastery approach underpins this phase, with an emphasis on depth of understanding, fluency, and the ability to reason mathematically.

At Key Stage 4, students build on these foundations through more complex application and problem‑solving. The curriculum prepares pupils for their final examinations by strengthening their ability to apply knowledge in a wide range of contexts. Challenge and engagement remain central, supported by regular recall and retrieval practice to secure long‑term understanding.

Across both key stages, our curriculum is designed to be ambitious, engaging, and accessible to all. We want every student to leave Standish Community High School as a confident mathematician with the skills, knowledge, and self‑belief to succeed in the next stage of their education and beyond. Above all, we hope to ignite a lasting passion for mathematics, inspired by teachers who are expert practitioners and deeply committed to helping students flourish.

Mathematics

The mathematics department teaches all students across Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. The students are taught to deal with four key areas: number, algebra, shape and space, data handling. There is also an increased emphasis on problem solving.

Students are also given the opportunity to enter several national ‘Maths Challenges’. We have experienced considerable success both locally and regionally with a number of outstanding mathematicians in school.

Key Stage 3

• Key Stage 3 is made up of Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9.
• The KS3 curriculum interleaves algebra, number, shape and space, data handling and ratio. This curriculum will enable students to achieve a depth of knowledge and conceptual understanding by exploring the relationships between these key mathematical concepts in a coherent way.
• A typical maths lesson will consist of a settler activity as students enter the room followed by a variety of tasks including PowerPoint presentations, loop games, jigsaws, treasure hunts, bingo or differentiated worksheets.

Maths Ambassadors – Year 9

• Students are selected from year 9 to act as Maths Ambassadors.
• The role of the Maths Ambassadors is to help year 7 students with written calculations and with an online maths programme which take place in registration twice a week.
• They ensure topics are taught using our ‘common approaches’ in order to aid the consistency throughout the school.

Curriculum Map

Learning Journey

Student Resources