What does the Maths Department Offer?

Qualified and experienced staff

Refer to qualifications and experience above.

The Grey Staff are exceptionally passionate and hard-working. Teaching practices are continuously re-assessed and adapted to suit the classes passing through each teacher’s hands and the entire Math’s staff attends at least one subject-specific teacher’s seminar per year. Assessment is on-going and exceeds departmental SBA requirements.

State-of-the art teaching environment

The math’s department is blessed to have the privilege of teaching in modern classrooms with access to many technologically advanced teaching aids which help to clarify and focus the pupils attention on the desired outcome without the distracting and mind-numbing influence of old-fashioned teaching practices. Chalk and talk still has its place but our data-projectors and programmes such as Geometer’ Sketch-pad, Autograph and Geogebra have, along with access to Power-points, YouTube, visualizers and Schoology have made the teaching/learning experience more exciting and relevant for both educators and lear.

Accelerated Math’s for selected pupils in Grades 9 -11

The Accelerated programme allows pupils with an aptitude for math’s, a good attitude and a sound work ethic the opportunity to cover the Grade 9 -12 curriculum in 3 years. The accelerated pace keeps the more capable pupils on their toes and prevents them from getting bored with the subject. Pupils need to develop good time-management skills and a sound work ethic in order to deal with the extra load. The skills thus developed go far beyond the content but develop life-skills which will make the pupils self-reliant, responsible and highly employable. It is common for pupils to struggle to adapt in the first few years of the programme and there may be a decline in the pupils’ core math’s results initially. The Core results are carefully monitored and if we feel that a pupil is not coping with the programme, they will be advised to change to Core Math’s. The positive spin-off seems to “kick-in” during Grade 11 and it is at this important stage that the pupils’ marks (particularly with respect to Grade 11 Core Math’s) start to climb rapidly upwards.

APMaths for elite Grade 12 pupils

APMATHS is a recognised IEB subject which will shortly be gaining international recognition (on par with A-levels). Pupils who follow this course will find themselves at a distinct advantage when they reach tertiary education, particularly those who intend following courses requiring pure mathematics (Engineering, Actuarial Science, etc). Pupils who have completed the Accelerated course and choose not to do APMaths have the advantage of 9 months of revision of Grade 11 and 12 core math’s, and the opportunity for extensive exposure to the higher level questions that separate the men from the boys in the final exams.

SCHOOLOGY

Schoology has proved to be an easy-to-use and highly accessible app for maximizing the pupils’ access to both teaching and revision material without the enormous waste of paper so prevalent in the past. Past papers, revision documents and memoranda are continuously uploaded to assist the pupils with preparation for tests and exams. Recorded video lessons and power-points are available for pupils who have missed lessons due to sport or illness, and are a valuable resource for revision and support.