The ambition of the Mathematics Faculty at DSTC is for students to become independent, resilient and capable mathematicians; we strive for students to be financially aware and capable of performing the mathematics they need in real-world situations.  We aim for students to develop their skills of logical thinking and problem solving and to be able to apply these skills to new and non-standard contexts. 

Our expert team of enthusiastic subject specialists endeavour to promote interest, curiosity and enjoyment in the learning of mathematics by providing a supportive yet challenging environment, where pupils believe they can achieve.

We understand that not every student will arrive at DSTC with a love of mathematics and a confidence in their mathematical ability.  Our first and most important priority is to encourage a ‘can-do’ belief.  Students will be given time to develop fluency in all aspects of mathematics; our approach is very much mastery-led and topics are interleaved to ensure that knowledge is re-visited regularly and linked with new content. 

Our ‘depth over breadth’ approach to teaching mathematics means that students explore topics in greater detail and are given opportunities to ‘master’ related concepts. 

In Year 7, students will focus primarily on number; patterns, place value, calculations and equivalence.  They will also be introduced to algebra notation and conventions.  In Year 8, students will continue to develop their number and algebra knowledge alongside key skills such as reasoning and communicating mathematically.  Students will also be given time to expand their knowledge of shape, probability and data.

In the Spring term, students in Year 7 and 8 take part in ‘Numeracy Ninjas’; this is a programme designed to improve fluency, speed and confidence.  The scheme involves mental numeracy strategies, times tables and basic calculations.  Throughout the programme, students will compete against the clock to earn a series of coloured ‘belts’.  This scheme has proved to be incredibly popular in previous years.

Students will be set according to ability across five classes.  Every class will work on broadly the same content, however the speed at which concepts are learnt may vary.

Students will be entered for the Edexcel GCSE in Mathematics at the end of KS4, there are two tiers of entry; Foundation and Higher.  The appropriate tier will be chosen for your daughter using an evidence based approach in order to assist her with achieving her full potential.  During KS4 students will be set, according to ability and tier of entry, across six classes.  Where students require further support, they will be invited to additional sessions after school or at lunchtimes where appropriate.

In KS4, students will study a wide range of mathematics across all strands of the curriculum; algebra, geometry, number, data, probability and ratio and proportion.  All students will build on the skills and knowledge from KS3.  The content for students undertaking the foundation tier is heavily weighted towards number and ratio whilst the content for higher tier students is focussed on algebra.

In the Summer term, all students in KS4 will undertake a small project during ‘Money Week’.  Previous projects have included planning a family holiday, setting up an ice cream and buying a house.

A Level Mathematics is offered at DSTC.  In order to be considered for the course, students will need to have achieved a grade 7 or above at GCSE.  

A Level Mathematics builds on some of the topics learnt at GCSE.  Topics such as indices, surds and quadratic equations are revisited in more depth with more emphasis on problem solving and modelling of real life scenarios.  Students will study three main strands; Pure Mathematics, Statistics and Mechanics.

Studying A Level Mathematics develops skills of logical thinking, problem solving and decision making; skills that are highly valued by employers across a huge variety of sectors.  Some of the careers that A Level Mathematicians could consider are;  accountant, teacher, analyst, research scientist, trader, quantity surveyor and meteorologist to name a few.

A Level Mathematics is one of the most widely accepted and respected subject choices by universities and will enhance the options available to successful students.  Mathematics is considered a ‘facilitating’ subject by most universities including the Russell Group.

For some university courses, an A Level in Mathematics will be a requirement.  Courses such as Statistics, Economics, Chemical Engineering and Physics amongst others require A Level Mathematics.