South East Essex Academy Trust (SEEAT)

Cornelius Vermuyden School

Maths

Intent

The maths curriculum is designed with inclusivity at its core, providing access and challenge for all students to ensure they reach their full potential. The curriculum is crafted to stimulate thinking and foster a sense of enjoyment and curiosity, contributing to the development of independent, reflective, and resilient learners. It also aims to provide a strong mathematical foundation for understanding the world.

Knowledge and Skills

The maths curriculum aims to develop the following skills and abilities in students:

  • Develop fluent knowledge, skills, and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts.
  • Cultivate the ability to communicate mathematical ideas in a clear and coherent manner.
  • Acquire, select, and apply mathematical techniques to solve problems clearly and logically.
  • Structure an argument, reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences, and draw conclusions.
  • Comprehend, interpret, and communicate mathematical information in various forms appropriate to the context.
  • Use the conventions of standard maths accurately, both verbally and in written form.
  • Understand the highly connected nature of maths by linking skills across the curriculum, enabling students to explore and investigate real-life applications.

Curriculum Overview

Key Stage 3

The maths curriculum is organized into distinct domains: Number, Geometry, Statistics, Ratio, Proportion & Rates of Change, and Probability. The course is structured with a clear progression from Key Stage 3 (KS3) to Key Stage 4 (KS4), yet it is designed as a cumulative spiral across all five years. This approach also considers Key Stage 2 (KS2) and Key Stage 5 (KS5) to ensure continuous progression of knowledge and skills.

The curriculum's spiral design means that topics are constantly revisited and expanded upon, allowing students to master concepts, develop accuracy, and respond more fluidly and rapidly to questions before more complexity is introduced. This method supports long-term memory retention and opens up new ways of thinking that might have been previously inaccessible. It maximizes learning in the classroom and enables smooth transitions between fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving.

In Year 7, students begin the spiraled curriculum with Algebra. Homework assignments are used to assess and secure prior knowledge, and these assignments are carefully reviewed to identify and fill any gaps in learning. This ensures that time is not spent on content that students have already mastered, allowing the spiral to continue effectively throughout KS3.

Key Stage 4

In preparation for exams, students work on exam techniques and are exposed to mark schemes and examiners' reports to ensure they are fully prepared. At the end of Year 11, students sit three maths papers in either the Foundation or Higher tier:

  • Paper 1: Non-calculator
  • Paper 2: Calculator
  • Paper 3: Calculator

Tier entry is not decided until Year 11, following a careful analysis of the Pre-Public Exams (PPEs) and consideration of the individual student's progress and abilities.

Career Opportunities in Maths

Maths permeates all aspects of life, including further education, the workplace, and everyday activities. Students will spend time considering this in each unit of work, discussing what they are learning, why they are learning it, how it relates to prior and future learning, and its real-life applications. By putting maths into context, students gain a full appreciation of how it prepares them for the world both inside and outside of school, both now and in the future.

Year 7 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning? What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain? What will excellence look like? How will this be assessed?
Number Sense and Calculations

Expressions and Equations

 

Measures

Adding and Subtracting

 

Multiplying

 

Dividing

 

Calculating with Negative Numbers

 

Order of Operations

 

Expressions

 

Substitution

 

Solving Equations

 

Time

 

Measure

Being able to round to place value and decimal places.

 

Understand various methods for making simple addition/subtraction calculations.

 

Be able to use number facts to make multiplication and division easier.

 

Understand that numbers extend into the negative and be able to use these in calculations.

 

Be able to apply the order of operations correctly.

 

Understand that order of operations is a fundamental rule for all questions.

 

Develop an understanding of algebra with regards to notation.

 

Be able to replace unknown values with an assigned value.

 

Be able to use knowledge of number sense, and order of operations, to solve simple equations.

 

Be able to convert between units of

time and understand how to use time in calculations.

 

Know and understand the connections between basic units of length, mass and capacity.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment in class.

 

Weekly homework tasks will be set for students to complete online.

 

The end of term assessment will be marked by the teacher, and recorded centrally, for monitoring progress.

 Year 8 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning? What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain? What will excellence look like? How will this be assessed?
Percentages and money

Algebra

 

Ratio

Percentages of amounts

 

Increase and decrease by a percentage with and without a calculator

 

Reverse percentages (most able students)

 

Value for money

 

Best buy

 

Indices

 

Solving Equations

 

Sequences

 

Write and simplify a ratio

 

Equivalent ratios

 

Write a ratio in the form 1:n

 

Convert between a ratio, fraction and percentage

 

Share into a ratio

Understand that percentage means per 100

 

Will be able to choose the most effective method to easily and quickly find a percentage

 

Understand the different terminology that can be used to describe an increase or a decrease.

 

Able to identify when a problem is dealing with reverse percentages

 

Able to solve problems involving percentages, value for money and best buys

 

Be able to use index laws to simplify expressions involving multiplication, division and powers with indices within the terms.

 

Be able to use knowledge of number sense, and order of operations, to solve 1 and 2 step equations.

 

Be able to solve equations that involve fractions, including the unknown within the denominator

 

Be able to solve equations involving brackets.

 

To be fully fluent students will be able to construct and solve equations based on worded problems

 

Students will be able to find term to term rule and continue a sequence

 

Students will be able to find the nth term (position to term rule) and use it to find terms in the sequence

 

Students will be able to rewrite a worded problem as ratio and simplify this

 

Students will be able to use equivalent ratio to solve problems involving money.

 

Able to simplify a ratio that involves mixed units of measure

 

Are able to understand the use of the ratio 1:n including within maps.

 

Students will be able to effectively convert between a fraction, percentage and ratio

 

Students will be able to problem solve in order to identify a persons share in a ratio.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment in class.

 

Weekly homework tasks will be set for students to complete online.

 

The end of term assessment will be marked by the teacher, and recorded centrally, for monitoring progress.

 Year 9 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning? What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain? What will excellence look like? How will this be assessed?

Fractions, decimals and percentages

Percentage change

Understand that a multiplicative relationship between two quantities can be expressed as a ratio or a fraction

Solve problems involving percentage change, including: percentage increase, decrease and original value problems and simple interest in financial mathematics.
Apply fundamentals of fractions, decimals and percentages to solve problems in the context of the wider world.
These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.
Theoretical and experimental probabilities and frequency tree. Students will learn to calculate the probability of combined events, mutually exclusive events, experimental probability and independent events. Students will learn to use frequency trees. Students will be able to solve a variety of complex probability problems including independent and dependent events. They will be able to use solving real life probability problems. These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.
Calculation with standard form

Students will learn writing large and small numbers in standard form by multiplying and dividing numbers in standard form and adding and subtracting numbers in standard form.

They will also learn how to do calculations using standard form on your calculator.

Students able to change ordinary numbers to standard form and vice versa.

Students able to write both small and large numbers in standard form and use them in calculation relating to real life problems.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.
Linear inequalities

Students will learn how to solve inequalities with the unknown on both sides and solve double inequalities. They will learn how to construct and solve inequalities.

Students able to solve inequalities

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.
Factorising and solving quadratic equations

Students will learn how to factorise quadratic equations of the form  , factorise the difference of two squares and factorise to solve quadratic equations.

 Students will also be able to calculate fluently and solve problems in context using all of the skills gained. Students will also be able to apply these algebraic techniques to solve worded and geometrical problems.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.

Year 10 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning? What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain? What will excellence look like? How will this be assessed?
Algebra

All students will:

  • Solve linear equations
  • Expand single and double brackets
  • Factorise into single brackets and double brackets
  • Use formulae

Higher tier students will:

  • Solve quadratic equations
  • Complete the square
  • Use iterative formulae
Solve quadratic inequalities
Confidence in applying skills in independent practise leading to problem solving skills with links to other areas of maths with a focus on geometry.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.
 Probability

All students will:

  • Single event probability
  • Experimental probability
  • Venn diagrams
  • Tree diagrams

Higher tier students will:

  • Mutually exclusive events
  • Conditional probability
Set notation
Students will be able to solve a variety of complex probability problems including independent and dependent events. They will be able to use solving real life probability problems.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.
Congruent and similarity

All students will:

  • Understand similarity
  • Perform and describe enlargements
  • Understand congruent shapes

Higher tier students will:

  • Prove congruence
Use similarity of length, area and volume
Students will be able to identify congruent shapes and explain their relationship.  They will also understand where similarity and congruence is used in real life.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.
Multiplicative reasoning

All students will:

  • Calculate percentages
  • Increase and decrease by a percentage
  • Calculate distant, speed and time
  • Calculate numerical direct and inverse proportion questions

Higher tier students will:

Algebraic direct and inverse proportion
Students will relate these skills to real life problem solving.  Those who have mastered the topic will be able to problem solve with links to geometric questions.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.

 Year 11 Curriculum Overview

What are we learning? What knowledge, understanding and skills will we gain? What will excellence look like? How will this be assessed?
Algebra

Students will be preparing for their mock exams which will take place in October.  The content of each class will be focused on Algebra with an individualised approach to what each class needs to study based on their year 10 mock analysis.

 

Topics that are to be included:

  • Expanding and factorising
  • Graphing
  • Equations
  • Inequalities
  • Changing the subject
indices
Confidence in applying skills in independent practise leading to problem solving skills with links to other areas of maths with a focus on geometry.

These units will be assessed using formative assessment whilst being delivered. Weekly homework on Sparx website, GCSE exam questions will be used within lessons. Post knowledge check will be used at the end of unit assessment, this will be marked by the student and teacher. The teacher will give feedback and set personalised task for the students to complete.

 

Students will be assessed via a formal maths mock assessment which will consist of 1 non-calculator paper and 2 non-calculator papers.  Each paper will be 90mins long and will follow the syllabus of Edexcel Mathematics.

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