Mathematics

As a core subject Mathematics is taught at all levels throughout the school. As a department it is our aim that pupils of all abilities are able to gain success and satisfaction through understanding in this subject. We also aim to encourage a sense of enjoyment of the subject through relevant real-life activities and problems.

Classes are mixed ability in Lower Schoolroom (year 7) and setted by ability thereafter.

In Schoolrooms we follow the Centre for Innovation in Maths Teaching’s Mathematics Enrichment Programme. This three year scheme takes our pupils through all aspects of mathematics while allowing them to see how their knowledge can be used to solve problems. While based on the National Curriculum it has a greater breadth of content, so prepares students well for GCSE and beyond.

In Seniors our students follow AQA’s GCSE syllabus. For the current Upper Senior this is the linear course and starting from this year’s Lower Senior (Year 10) we will be following the new modular version. Pupils sit three exams over the two years. The first two in Lower Senior cover Statistics, Number and Algebra and combined account for 60% of the final grade. In Upper Senior they cover Algebra and Geometry which are worth the remaining 40%. It is anticipated that all pupils will enter at the Higher Tier which enables them to access grades A* to D, but there is the flexibility to sit any module at Foundation. Pupils who would like to take maths further are offered OCR’s Free Standing Maths Qualification in Advanced Mathematics. This course is an introduction to A Level Maths and stretches our most able pupils.

A-level Mathematics is a challenging and popular subject at Bootham. Considerable flexibility is available with the Edexcel modular course, allowing students to take additional modules to make an AS or A-level in Further Maths and to choose applied modules relevant to their other A-levels.

Classes in Pure Maths are setted by ability, allowing more able students to work at a faster pace giving time for the Further Pure modules in the second year. Mechanics, Statistics and Decision Maths modules are taught in mixed ability classes. An increasing number of our students continue to study maths at degree level after leaving Bootham.

Senior Team Maths Challenge - National Final

Christopher Hall, Yolanda Wang, Chris Ellery and Owen Duffey are pictured above with the poster explaining cycloids that came second in the competition on 2 February 2011.

Over the last few years Bootham pupils have enjoyed much success in the UKMT Maths Challenge competitions. These challenges organised by the University of Leeds are separated into Junior, Intermediate and Senior competitions with mathematical problems to be solved in a limited time without the use of calculators.

We also enter the Team Challenges against teams from other local schools. In 2010 our Senior Team won the regional final and will represented North Yorkshire at the National Final - see photograph above. Each summer our Lower Schoolroom (year 7) pupils enjoy a Maths Trail around York solving mathematical problems in real-life situations. We also take part in World Maths Day each year which allows everyone in school to compete against mathematicians from around the world to beat a world record. Last year Bootham School scored over 300,000 correct answers in a 48 hour period!