Mathematics Department at
Mark Rutherford
The Department Team
The department team currently consists of six full-time and one part-time enthusiastic and dedicated teachers who all teach across the age and ability range at KS3 and KS4, and four of whom deliver the AS/A level courses. There is a Head of Department, a Second in Department and a member of staff with responsibilities for individual needs.
Members of the department work together, supporting one another and sharing ideas both informally on a day-to-day basis and more formally at department meetings. The development and dissemination of classroom resources is also a shared activity.
We have established close links with De Montfort University (Bedford) and for several years trainees on the PGCE course have been welcomed into the department for placements during the year.
Resources
We have seven specialist classrooms that are grouped closely together and three of the rooms are each equipped with an interactive whiteboard and a further four rooms have overhead projectors. The department also has a portable interactive whiteboard and projector which can be used in conjunction with the laptops issued to all members of staff. Each room has internet access. In addition there is a departmental workroom/small classroom/resources base and office located close to the classrooms. All classrooms are equipped with a variety of mathematical resources including half-sets of each of the Vickers textbooks from Level 4 to Level 8. A variety of additional half-class sets of textbooks, including the Heinemann Edexcel GCSE Mathematics series, and commercially produced photocopiable worksheets are located in the work room.
GCSE Mathematics Series - In addition the department subscribes to a number of commercially available websites and software packages to assist with teaching and assessment. Many of these packages can be accessed by students from home using the internet.
Student Organisation
Year 9
Students in Year 9 are taught in two bands within the Year Group for their six lessons per fortnightly cycle, and each band covers the same ability spectrum. There are 5 groups per band and the students are set within each band. The initial placement of students is based on information supplied by the Middle Schools with whom we have very good relations. We assess each half-term and students are moved between sets as necessary.
Years 10 and 11
Students in Years 10 and 11 are taught in two bands for their six lessons per fortnight, with each band covering the same ability range. There are 6 sets per band and students were placed in sets based on their achievement in Year 9, including KS3 Test results and teacher assessment.
Students follow the Edexcel GCSE linear course.Students may also be entered for the Adult Numeracy tests, either Level 1 or Level 2 as appropriate.
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