What's new in the new NC? Doing hard maths at key stage 3 is what makes it interesting.

What Craig Barton says: The new maths curriculum – in detail There is an increased level of challenge around the theory of number – achieved by introducing prime numbers and surds in KS3. (ed. Surds are not there!) You’ll find increased requirements for algebra, geometry and measures and ratios, proportion and rates of change – the three pillars for calculus at post-16 level. There are raised expectations for achievement in probability. Financial education has been reinforced with a focus on solving problems involving percentage increases and decreases, simple interest and repeated growth

What’s New KS3? (CJO) Aims: (i) fluent (ii) reason mathematically (iii) solve problems  appreciate the infinite nature of the sets of integers, real and rational numbers  expanding products of two or more binomials  model situations or procedures by translating them into algebraic expressions or formulae  … including piece-wise linear  recognise arithmetic sequences and … geometric sequences  interpret mathematical relationships both algebraically and geometrically  enumerate sets and unions/intersections of sets systematically, using tables, grids and Venn diagrams

What’s New KS4? (CJO) Aims: (i) fluent (ii) reason mathematically (iii) solve problems  set up appropriate algorithms and iterative procedures  understand and use algebraic arguments, relying on the multiplicative structure of number.  understand and use mathematical arguments  model simple contextual and subject-based problems algebraically  identify and interpret gradients, roots, intercepts, turning points graphically and numerically  solve velocity and acceleration problems … velocity/time graphs, and mechanics problems, such as those involving collisions and momentum.  solve growth and decay problems, such as financial mathematics problems with compound interest  use iterative methods to solve problems such as loan repayment  understand and use the concepts of instantaneous and average rate of change in graphical representations (chords and tangents), including with velocity and acceleration  calculate conditional probabilities … Venn diagrams  describe relationships in bivariate data … interpolate and extrapolate trends.

Fluency: Target Maths

Fluency Algebra Computer Algebra Systems

Reasoning: Proof

Solve Problems

GCSE Examination How have the exam boards chosen to interpret it? No steps in questions. No direct arithmetic or algebraic manipulation. All questions involve some problem solving. Only linear exams … a frown to early entry …therefore much harder.

Change  Rest What changes are you working on as a department to take account of: the new NC for KS3 NOW the move to the KS4 new NC for first exams in 2017