Staff and Responsibilities

Dave Fielding Director of Learning
Darren Cooke Assistant Director of Learning
Solomon Berhane Teacher of Maths and Assistant Headteacher
Rebecca Carr Teacher of Maths
Dave Creighton Teacher of Maths
Di Griffin Teacher of Maths
Chris Tracey Teacher of Maths
Val Morson Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Heather Povey Teaching Assistant

Rooms and facilities
The team is centred in a dedicated Mathematics block with most teachers having their own teaching room. All the classrooms are well resourced with their own stock of equipment, and all are equipped with an interactive whiteboard.
In addition to this we have use of an excellent software package called MyMaths. This package is of immense help in providing online lessons which we use in class and which also can be accessed by students from home, and it contains hundreds of online homeworks and tests which we set for homework. Parents can easily follow the progress of their child by looking at the amount of work that their child has done during their time on MyMaths.
The department also has its own small suite of networked computers.

Teaching and learning
We offer pupils a wide variety of mathematical activities. These include revision clubs, drop-in clubs and puzzle clubs. For the most able students we take part in some of the National Maths Challenges; Intermediate for Years 9, 10 and 11 and Junior for Years 7 and 8, and we have a good record of success. In 2011 we will be entering a team for the Team Challenge.

All students spend 3 hours per week doing Maths.
Each student on arrival at Willingdon is placed in a Maths teaching group according to his or her prior assessment information, obtained from CAT scores, Key stage 2 test results and/or teacher assessments.
Years 8 to 11 are taught Maths in two parallel half years, setted by mathematical ability into 4 groups per half year. The setting arrangements are frequently reviewed to take into account the pupils' progress.
From Years 7 to 9 the Department uses the Mathslink scheme of work, which includes tiered textbooks and a comprehensive teacher's guide.
In Years 10 and 11 classes work towards the Edexcel board GCSE. The examination is in line with the two-tier assessment model whereby all students are able to gain a Grade C in GCSE Mathematics.
Some Year 10 students have the opportunity to take GCSE early, at the end of Year 10, in which case they will continue with the Additional Mathematics Free Standing Mathematics Qualification (FSMQ), taking this at the end of Year 11.  Others take their GCSE in Mathematics in the November of Year 11.
85% of students gained level 5 or above, and 35% level 7 or above, at the end of Key Stage 3 in 2010, and 81% gained an A*-C grade at GCSE Maths in 2010.  These are outstanding results putting the department in the top rank of Maths departments in the country.

Equipment
Students are required to bring a selection of mathematical equipment with them every lesson. We expect every student to bring in pen, pencil, ruler and scientific calculator, and a geometry set is also recommended.
All items of equipment can be purchased from the school at very reasonable prices.
Ethos
Every member of the Maths department is dedicated to helping every student who attends Willingdon School. The teachers in the Maths department have a wide variety of skills and are able to help with all mathematical problems that you may have. Students are encouraged to talk to any member of the department staff, not just their own Maths teacher.