Mathematics
Year 11 Rationale
The Harrow High School Mathematics department follows a tailored version of the White Rose Maths scheme of work. The White Rose Maths approach is to learn by making connections through carefully sequenced examples and questions.
The curriculum is highly adaptive. Teachers assess prior knowledge before each unit and tailor their lessons accordingly. Basics are revised if necessary, and if time permits, learners are accelerated onto higher maths and further maths.
In general, the scheme follows the structure outlined in Key Ideas in Teaching Mathematics (2013); a strong foundation in numerical and algebraic reasoning is built on with other more sophisticated types of reasoning as KS4 progresses. Each unit, and each lesson within each unit, is carefully sequenced to ensure all necessary prior knowledge is taught and understood.
Year 11 is the year in which learners will take their exams. As summer approaches, the proportion of revision and exam-focused material studied in class increases.
Autumn Term
In Autumn of Year 11 learners build on their learning in Year 10. Having studied ratio, proportion, expressions and equations, learners are ready to tackle proof, graphs, trigonometry and vectors.
Learners revise these topics from Key Stage 3 and Year 10:
- Coordinates and linear graphs
- Substitution
- 2D and 3D shapes
- Pythagoras’ theorem
- Plans and elevations
- Volume and surface area
- Column vectors and translations
All students are expected to study Key Stage 4 topics such as mensuration of spheres and cones, right-angled trigonometry, bearings and quadratic graphs. These topics are left to Year 11 because they require a lot of the skills and knowledge developed in Year 10. For example, plotting and interpreting a quadratic graph requires knowledge of expressions, equations, negative numbers, powers, symmetry and how to use a graph.
Students with strong prior knowledge who need to be extended will cover algebraic proof, circle and exponential graphs, and the sine and cosine rules. Students who quickly understand these topics are taught topics from further maths such as differentiation.
Spring Term
The foci for the Spring term are:
- functions,
- interpreting and solving with graphs,
- transformations, and
- constructions.
These topics lend require a lot of prior knowledge and are suitable for teaching Year 11 when they begin to revise. For example, transformations as a topic brings together knowledge of ratio, similarity, congruence, coordinates, equations of lines, vectors and angles.
Learners with strong prior knowledge study extension topics such as composite and inverse functions, quadratic inequalities and using matrices to describe transformations. Learners also are taught to improve their mathematical communication, using appropriate mathematical language to promote deeper thinking and understanding.
By the end of spring, all students will have finished their curriculum and have started to revise. We spend any remaining time in the spring and summer terms looking at past paper questions and reteaching areas of weakness identified in our internal pre-public exams (PPE’s).