With Maths, an over-riding principle above all others is that our job, as Maths teachers, is to make complicated things simpler and not to make simple things more complicated.
Too often, children are left with the feeling that Maths is some remote, arcane mystery whose secrets are only revealed to a precious few. We believe that every child can learn Maths, and has a right to effectively learn Maths, as part of their maturing process.
Maths is not taught solely so that children can use and solve complex algebra problems (which, with the best will in the world, very few will ever use again). Maths is taught to develop the logical processing systems of the brain – all tools that will beyond doubt be useful in the future lives of today’s young people.
We are fortunate not to be constrained by the requirements of regular compulsory testing. However, we are always mindful of our planning and development as a department, combined with the eventual goal of Common Entrance and Scholarship. As these are formal, traditional, exam-based assessments, we have to check in a similar, formal way that the children are developing as we would expect. Children are put into sets as appropriate from Year 5 onwards.