Mathematics is a critical strand of the One Curriculum because Mathematics is a universal language. It is the same the world over. The use of Mathematics is an essential everyday life skill – who does not use some aspect of Mathematics every single day of their lives? Mathematics helps you tell the time. Mathematics helps you with your finances – spending, borrowing, budgeting, profit and loss. Mathematics helps us have better problem-solving skills and gives important core life skills.
Lower School – Key Stage 1
At Gad’s Hill Lower School, our One Curriculum provides a rich, challenging, and carefully planned journey from Early Years to Lower Shell. It begins in EYFS, where pupils work towards their Good Level of Development (GLD) through purposeful play, early exploration, and strong foundations in mathematical language, number, and curiosity.
As Pupils move through the school, their mathematical understanding grows year on year. Lessons are carefully sequenced to build knowledge, fluency, and confidence, following the White Rose maths Scheme. Our teachers tailor learning to meet individual needs, ensuring every pupil is supported and challenged appropriately. Through active learning, creative thinking, and resilience, children develop vital life skills—with maths playing a central role.
We use evidence-based research and a blend concrete, pictorial and abstract representations that help bring mathematical concepts to life. Maths at Gad’s Hill develops problem-solving, logical thinking, and a belief that every pupil can succeed. We celebrate the subject through national events such as NSPCC’s Number Day and Maths Week England.
Lower School – Key Stage 2
Throughout pupil’s journey through the Junior School mathematical understanding grows year on year. The White Rose Maths Scheme is follower and this helps sequence lessons in an effective way, ensuring that skills are built upon and developed further. Fluency, Reasoning and Problem-solving skills are covered throughout every lesson meaning that pupils show a deepening understanding of each learning objective. Our teachers tailor learning to meet individual needs, ensuring every pupil is supported and challenged appropriately. Through active learning, creative thinking, and resilience, pupils develop vital life skills—with maths playing a central role.
Maths at Gad’s Hill develops problem-solving, logical thinking, and a belief that every pupil can succeed. We celebrate the subject through national events such as NSPCC’s Number Day and Maths Week England. In the Juniors, pupils are given the opportunity to engage with National Mathematical challenges where they can obtain recognised awards.
Beyond the classroom, enrichment opportunities and real-life learning experiences help our curriculum truly come alive. We aim to inspire every pupil to love learning, challenge themselves, and take pride in their mathematical progress ready for their journey into the Upper School.
Upper School – Key Stage 3
At Gad’s Hill the mathematics course develops numerous core skills which can be applied to all other academic subjects and ultimately to various different career paths. Skills in number, data handling, algebraic manipulation, ratio, proportion and probability and Statistics are all covered in depth in the curriculum.
Maths is taught in various ways with an emphasis on skill mastery and knowledge recall. There is collaborative work, investigative work, using the maths watch online platform, presentations of problems and solutions by pupils to their classmates and practical work with quick fire problems, puzzles, games and discussions.
The study of, and interest in, maths develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills for life. It can be as simple as using logic to solve a sudoku puzzle for fun or having the skills to competently analyse spreadsheets of economic data for a large global company.
We believe that a deep understanding of maths will therefore give all pupils a firm grounding on the journey to leading a successful life in the modern world and so this is our goal.
Pupils have the opportunity to sit the Junior UK Maths challenge each year and advance to further stages if successful in the initial challenge.
Upper School – Key Stage 4
We aim to equip all of our pupils with the knowledge and skills to become accomplished mathematicians who are able to reason and interpret across a range of topics. We try and do this while maintaining a sense of enjoyment and linking, wherever possible, to real world situations in which the skill or method could be used and careers in which this skill will be valuable.
A recent study showed that the top three jobs in terms of income and job satisfaction were careers suited for those with academic strengths in maths. These included scientists and employment in the world of Finance and Medicine. Other career paths include Computer Science; Engineering; the Military and Education. Another study showed that 13% of all employment in the UK is in professions that depend on mathematical sciences.
At Gad’s Hill, maths is taught in various ways with an emphasis on skill mastery, depth of understanding and knowledge recall. There is collaborative work, investigative work, using the Mathswatch online platform, presentations of problems and solutions by students to their classmates and practical work with quick fire problems, puzzles, games and discussions.
Pupils have the opportunity to sit the Intermediate UK Maths challenge each year and advance to further stages if successful in the initial challenge. We usually get some pupils progressing each year onto the next stage.
Many of our pupils each year choose to take an additional GCSE in either, or both of, Statistics and Further Maths as an after school taught option and pupils enjoy the challenge and further knowledge that this brings. Results are highly successful. Building confidence in each and every pupil is a further goal of the department. Progression into taking A Level Maths is also a popular option each year, partly as a result of this.
