Welcome to the Maths page!

Learning Experiences:

• By the end of S4, pupils will have completed a wide range of outcomes within the following areas:

Algebra factorising and use of brackets in expressions, evaluations and formulae. Number patterns.

Geometry properties of shapes and parallel lines, circles, area, volume, straight lines, Pythagoras theorem, enlargement and symmetry.

Trigonometry find angles and sides of right angled triangles.

Statistics construct, use and interpret statistical diagrams; scatter graphs & draw best fitting straight lines and calculate probability.

Numeracy fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio & proportion.

In addition, those doing National 5 Maths in S4 will have completed the following:

Algebra equations & in-equations, simultaneous equations, changing the subject of formulae, completing the square, quadratics, algebraic fractions and sequences.

Geometry arcs & sectors, converse of Pythagoras’ theorem, similarity, shape properties, 2-D & 3-D co-ordinates and vectors.

Trigonometry beyond 90 degrees, triangle formulae, graphs and relationships

Statistics comparison of data sets, determine equations of best fitting straight lines.

Numeracy surds, indices and significant figures.

• The course covers the Maths and Numeracy outcomes.   It will include a mixture of oral, mental and written work.   Pupils will often do work individually or in pairs and sometimes in groups.   There will also be whole class work.   Pupils will sometimes do investigations and prepare and give group presentations.   Some tasks will be done with a calculator or other ICT.

• The course contributes towards outcomes in specialist Literacy and making valid conclusions and to aspects of Health & Well-being in social arithmetic.

• Links with other subjects such as science and CDT will be made when appropriate.

Below you can find information on what we do in maths as well as other information about the department. If you need any further information, please contact us.

Teacher

The maths teacher in the Secondary is Ms E Macgregor.

The three main objectives of the department are to:

• Provide a meaningful education of maths – develop an appreciation of, and interest in, maths and an awareness of its importance in society and in technology.
• Contribute to pupils’ personal development and overall education
• Enable pupils to develop to their potential the mathematical skills required for their present needs, both in and out of school, and for future demands of adult life, employment, future study and training.

Numeracy

Numeracy is given high priority at all stages.  Such skills are required for lots of day-to-day tasks, and employers are keen to find workers that can think in a logical way.

Follow on cards practice mental maths

Decimal places interactive resource

Flash cards, games, websites and class activities help practice mental agility and confidence in working with numbers, see above photos of pupils using ‘follow-on’ cards which some classes can now complete in a very short time. We aim to increasingly embed problem solving into all maths lessons, and in doing so ensure that pupils are more confident in tackling non-routine applications of maths.

It is vital that pupils fully realise the real-life applications of maths, and so wherever possible, problems are set in a context which pupils can relate to.

S1 and S2

During these first two years we work hard to broaden and develop many mathematical skills, and look at some completely new topics.

Before pupils move to the secondary, the maths teacher meets with the P7 teachers to discuss each pupil individually and help plan for their start to the secondary.

In class we use a variety of teaching and learning techniques to help pupils’ progress in maths. Mental maths calculations are practiced regularly in a variety of ways. Pupils are encouraged to discuss and evaluate their work, and to help each other learn.

S1 Pupils discuss their work

S3

S3 acts as a bridging year between the broad general education and the SQA qualifications. A significant amount of learning in S3 contributes to the S4 courses, as pupils work hard on extending their skills into CfE level 4 and beyond.

S4

In all pupils work towards a qualification in maths. Most common are National 3, 4 and 5 maths, introduced in 2013-14 for the first time.

Learning Experiences

ICT is used extensively in maths to assist the learning process in lessons, to add enjoyment to some activities, and for pupils to do research and then present their findings. The interactive whiteboard is a very useful tool in lessons to invigorate the learning process; there are an increasing number of interactive resources available online. Computer applications such as ‘ Living Worksheets ’ – self-marking electronic worksheets – provide instant feedback to pupils and encourage discussion of the work. Applications such as Microsoft Excel for working with statistics.

Pupils gain a wide variety of learning experiences in maths in their time at Whalsay School. From maths challenges, to bridge building cross curricular work – pupils have a rich education, and experience a maths education tailored to suit their individual needs.

Additional Support Needs

ASN staff provide invaluable support to lots of pupils in maths, and take an active interest in their learning. The maths teacher meets every two weeks with the ASN teacher to plan for and ensure that we meet the needs of all individual pupils, across all abilities.

Maths Study

Maths study is open to all pupils and takes place every Wednesday from 3.40pm – 4.30pm. 

Pupils in S1 to S3 have the opportunity to come along and do maths homework, catch up on class work, or for extra help on topics.

Pupils in S4 can also drop in for help with their work, and those who intend to do maths in S5 can do some bridging work during this time, to help ease the transition.

In S1 & S2 pupils are given the opportunity to enhance their maths and numeracy skills by logging onto Sumdog. This is accessible to them both in and out of  school.

Maths Challenge

Since 2009, several of our pupils have taken part in the UK Maths Challenge. All pupils are also given the opportunity to take part in the Scottish Maths Challenge each year. Click here to find out about Whalsay School’s performance in the UKMT. In addition to this, pupils in S1/S2 prepare and select a team for the Shetland Maths Challenge, held annually at different venues through Shetland. In 2013, the challenge was staged in Whalsay, and we came 2nd which was a superb achievement for a school of our size.

Links

There are many very useful websites with maths content. Some examples are below.

BBC Bitesize – Good revision materials and activities
Coolmath – Explanations and games
Counton – Some excellent games, including a new Sudoku game
Nrich – Mathematical problems, games and activities
Primary Games – Online games and fun maths activities