“I find it fascinating that you can look at the same problem from different perspectives and approach it using different methods.”
– Maryam Mirzakhani
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a good school supports pupils to gain excellent maths qualifications. Apologies to Jane Austen, but I suspect that we would all agree that young people, by the time they have passed through their primary and secondary education, should have mastery of a range of mathematical skills and concepts. Some of their number will progress even further and will take their mathematical learning to still greater heights; a few will study it beyond school at university. At the BSP we are always proud of those who go on to study this most fundamental subject.
Our approach to mathematics is guided by the National Curriculum, it includes GCSE qualifications at 16+ and for many is a popular A level choice in the 6th Form. It allows pupils to achieve and be challenged at all levels. For some who are less familiar with the UK system, it sometimes comes as a surprise that pupils do not have to pursue the subject beyond GCSE. What is also interesting is that the level of maths post 16 is more challenging than courses to be found just about anywhere else in the world. Achieving a top grade in Further Maths is a significant achievement and equivalent to elements of undergraduate maths courses.
Here we are proud to offer a variety of options for the study of maths post 16. There is the A level course, A level Further Maths for those who really want to challenge themselves and a Core Maths course that supports students’ mathematical understanding in other subjects. There is plenty of maths and statistics to be found in a huge number of areas. In short, applied mathematical concepts are present in a wide range of our subjects.
If you visit the Junior School, the emphasis on maths is building basic skills and with it confidence. Visit a maths lesson and you will see plenty of fun and enjoyment. Puzzle solving and creative approaches to maths are to be found. Whilst times tables still have to be learned there is a positive feeling about the subject and its application to other subjects is made clear. When I ask pupils about their enjoyment of maths, they talk about the satisfaction of solving problems, the neatness of coming to a logical conclusion and the joy of being able to master a subject. It is heartening to see this level of comfort with numbers. Whilst my opening line might well have suggested that this would be a column in support of reading, I hope that we can approach maths in a similar way to that we normally reserve for literacy. Numbers and letters – both are the building blocks of a good education.
Nicholas Hammond
Headmaster
