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Mr MulhallHead of Maths

The Mathematics Department consists of eight specialist teachers, bringing together a strong combination of teaching experience, subject expertise and professional experience from outside education. This breadth of knowledge provides students with a rich mathematical experience and allows staff to make meaningful connections between mathematics, further study and the world of work.

The department is led by Pete Mulhall, Head of Mathematics, who has taught at The Wilnecote School since 2016. Prior to entering education, Pete gained significant industry experience, working in finance roles for major retailers and commodity trading companies in London. This commercial background brings valuable real-world context to the curriculum, particularly in demonstrating the application of mathematics within finance, business and data.

Adam Sewell leads Key Stage 3 Mathematics and is an experienced practitioner who began his career at The Wilnecote School as an NQT in Physical Education before moving into Mathematics. His experience across different curriculum areas, alongside his detailed knowledge of the school and its pupils, supports the development and implementation of the Key Stage 3 curriculum.

The department also benefits from the experience of Leighton Thomas, a member of the Senior Leadership Team, who joined the Mathematics Department this year. Leighton brings many years of mathematics teaching experience from his previous school in Birmingham, adding further subject and leadership expertise to the team.

Richard McDonald leads Key Stage 4. He originally joined The Wilnecote School as a PGCE student before completing his ECT training with the department. Having previously spent several years teaching in China, Richard returned to the school in 2021 and brings both international teaching experience and a strong understanding of the department’s curriculum and expectations.

Sophia Saeed joined the teaching profession following a career in accountancy. Her professional experience provides an important link between classroom mathematics and its application within finance, accounting and the wider workplace.

The department has also welcomed three new colleagues, further broadening the range of expertise within the team. Fotios Dimi joined teaching following many years working within mechanical engineering. His extensive industry experience provides valuable opportunities to demonstrate how mathematical concepts are applied within engineering and technical careers.

Josh Eveson joins the department having previously worked with the Met Office, bringing valuable experience of the practical application of mathematics, statistics and data within a scientific setting. Sadia Turab joins the department following the completion of her university studies in Mathematics, bringing strong contemporary subject knowledge and a fresh perspective to the team.

Collectively, the Mathematics Department has an excellent balance of experience, subject expertise, industry knowledge and developing practitioners. The range of professional backgrounds represented within the team is a particular strength, enabling students to see mathematics not simply as an academic subject but as a discipline with significant applications across finance, engineering, science, data and many other careers.

The department meets weekly to discuss subject-specific priorities, curriculum development, assessment, teaching and learning, and the progress of different groups of pupils. Collaborative planning and the sharing of effective practice are embedded within the department’s culture.

There is a strong and consistent Mathematics ethos across the team, underpinned by a shared vision for high expectations, strong mathematical understanding and positive outcomes for all pupils. Staff regularly share ideas, resources and approaches to teaching and learning, creating a genuine team culture in which colleagues support and challenge one another to continually improve provision.

This combination of collaboration, professional expertise and a shared commitment to improving outcomes enables the department to remain reflective and dynamic in its approach while maintaining a clear and consistent experience for pupils across Key Stages 3 and 4.

Vision for Maths at The Wilnecote School

 

Mathematics is a creative and highly interconnected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history’s most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology, and engineering and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. Our high-quality mathematics education, therefore, provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.

Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which pupils learn to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas. We believe strongly in teaching for understanding and mastery of the subject. The programme of study for key stage 3 is sequenced into, what may appear to be distinct domains, but pupils build on key stage 2 and connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. The teaching for a sound knowledge of key concepts then enables students to access the Key Stage 4 Scheme of Work.

Our Key Stage 4 scheme of work is structured in a similar way to Key Stage 3 however, students will follow one of 2 routes on their learning journey. Route 1 is studied by GCSE foundation-level students and Route 2 is aimed at higher-level students. Both of these routes build on previously mastered topics where we retrieve, affirm and build on the knowledge and understanding as we progress through the curriculum. For example, when learning about and how to apply Pythagoras’ theorem in year 9, we need previous teaching from Numbers with an understanding of square numbers and square roots, from Algebra with the application of substitution and rearranging equations and from Geometry the knowledge of the properties of shapes and specifically triangles.

As students approach their final year at Key stage 4 they will follow a personalised scheme of learning that targets gaps in knowledge as identified by the thorough question level analysis (QLA) of each student’s performance in the frequent assessments that take place. This fully prepares them for success in their GCSE examination.

Pupils also learn to apply their mathematical knowledge in Science, Geography, Computing and other subjects.

Curriculum overview:

We believe that students deserve a creative and ambitious mathematics curriculum, rich in skills and knowledge, which ignites curiosity and prepares them well for everyday life and future employment. Our mathematics curriculum will give students the opportunity to:

· Become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.

· Reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.

· Solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and preserving in seeking solutions.

· Communicate, justify, argue and prove using mathematical vocabulary.

· Develop their character, including resilience, confidence, and independence, so that they contribute positively to the life of the school, their local community and the wider environment.

PEDAGOGY

Our pedagogy is underpinned by a mastery approach to the teaching of mathematics for understanding, a spiral curriculum basing future teaching on the building blocks taught previous concepts that are broken down into small connected and structured steps enabling application to a range of contexts and variation to develop deep and holistic understanding procedural fluency and repetition of key facts to free up working memory.

Manipulatives and multiple representations are used to build and scaffold learning, marking and feedback that informs planning and addresses misconceptions promptly, questioning planned intelligently, interventions that are timely, planned, and effective from PPE assessments data. As staff, we encourage students to see an error as a learning opportunity and are resilient in their learning, have constant focus on fact retrieval and have opportunities for pupils to reason and justify.

ENRICHMENT

We believe that a student’s experience of Mathematics should extend beyond the classroom. Providing opportunities to explore the subject in different ways can help pupils develop their mathematical thinking, confidence and wider skills.
 
One way we do this is through the UKMT Maths Challenges. Students in Years 7 and 8 can take part in the Junior Maths Challenge, while students in Years 9 and 10 participate in the Intermediate Maths Challenge. Each year, students have also qualified for the follow-on Junior Kangaroo and Intermediate Kangaroo rounds. These challenges give pupils the chance to tackle unfamiliar and interesting problems, encouraging them to think creatively, use logical reasoning and persevere when a solution is not immediately obvious. They also help students see that Mathematics is about much more than simply applying methods they have learnt in lessons.
 
We also work with the North Midlands Maths Hub at Keele University to provide additional opportunities for higher-attaining students in Years 7, 10 and 11. These sessions allow pupils to explore Mathematics in greater depth and encounter ideas and problems beyond their usual classroom experience. Visiting and working with a university also gives students the opportunity to experience university life first-hand. This can help them understand the options available to them after school and see how Mathematics can continue to play an important role in further education and future careers.
 
We also believe that developing skills outside the classroom is an important part of a student’s education. Pupils are encouraged to volunteer at school events, including open evenings, Year 5 taster days and Year 6 transition activities. These opportunities allow students to take on responsibility and develop valuable skills such as leadership, communication, confidence and teamwork. Supporting younger pupils and representing their school can also give students a real sense of pride in their contribution to the wider school community.
 
Together, these opportunities help provide a well-rounded experience of Mathematics, combining academic challenge with personal development and careers awareness, while encouraging students to become confident, independent and enthusiastic learners.

 

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Our curriculum will enable students to learn within a coherent and exciting framework which does not limit students’ ambitions. Students can develop new skills through a variety of interesting contexts to foster enjoyment, develop a rich deep and secure subject knowledge, understand what they are doing well and how they need to improve.

Students can explore the breadth and depth of the national curriculum, build on their understanding of the importance of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and tolerance and respect, improve their spiritual, social, moral and cultural understanding to develop confidence in their own financial and numerical understanding.

Curriculum

Please note that this assessment calendar and the listed assessment dates are indicative and may be subject to change in order to accommodate operational requirements.