It is about thinking logically, finding patterns, looking for links, finding out what if I…
We teach in a way that means our children can sit the Common Entrance examination comfortably. However we are much more concerned with building fascination by teaching not just ‘the how’, but, much more importantly, ‘the why’ things happen in maths and the way that they do. In the words of Stanley Gudder: ‘The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated but to make complicated things simple.’
All the children know that Common Entrance is the final goal (which is equivalent to Foundation/ Intermediate GCSE level) of their Maths studies at Windlesham. However, we aim to build solid foundations in every student and push others to a much higher level so that they have an advanced grounding for GCSE Maths taken at Senior School.
Most students achieve an ‘A’ or ‘B’ grade at Common Entrance and we have enjoyed recent success too in the UK Junior Maths Challenge with three pupils reaching the Junior Maths Olympiad! This, along with the Primary Maths Challenge and our own Threes Windlesham Maths Challenge means there is hardly a term that goes by without one challenge or another! To achieve their potential, we expect every student to try their hardest and to trust that we will not push them beyond what they can do.
What drives us all forward as teachers, is the ‘light bulb’ moment, when a child (who may have been struggling with a concept for some lessons) suddenly says: “So that’s why!” If we make this happen at least once a day, we are going in the right direction!
Julian Franklin, Head of Maths