In September 2006 we instituted some changes to the way we taught and examined the 2004 GCE in Mathematics - the major change being the testing of MPC 1 in January of the first year. We made a similar change to the year 13 structure where we examined MPC 3 in the January of the second year. These changes resulted directly from our own observations and from interviews with the year 12 and 13 students who had 'gone through' the process.
| MODULE | TAUGHT | EXAMINED |
| MPC1 | Autumn 2007 | January 9th 2008 |
| MPC2 | Spring and Summer 2008 | May 15th 2008 |
| MS1B | Spring and Summer 2008 | June 6th 2008 |
| MD01 | Post Examination June 2008 | January 15th 2008 |
| MODULE | TAUGHT | EXAMINED |
| MD01 | Autumn 2007 | January 15th 2008 |
| MPC3 | Autumn 2007 | January 17th 2008 |
| MPC4 | Spring and Summer 2008 | June 12th 2008 |
In addition to the normal teaching students will now undergo regular, formal class testing from which they will receive formal written feedback graded at the correct level (completely independently of our own thinking this has been requested by some year 13 students who feel it would give them a better awareness of whether they are on course to attain their target grades)
Both teachers will teach MPC 1 leading to the January examinations. Teaching will be in the now usual style of two double lessons and one single - in the autumn term this single lesson will be used for testing, teachers taking it in turns to mark and grade the work.
More details of the testing appears in the detailed scheme of work but briefly:
Due to time constraints the testing will be alternate weeks in the spring and Summer terms.
A similar regime of testing to that in year 12 will take place with the same alternating scheme of marking.
In line with the ideals of personalised learning there will be no one pass mark for a test but each student will be given a target grade based on their overall A/S or A2 target grade.
If a student fails a test they will be required to redo the test at home with the aid of text books and their notes - they will then resubmit the test for marking. Continual 'poor' performance will lead to intervention in their learning and possible removal from the course.
If a student regularly passes the tests at their own target grade that grade may be raised to give the student an element of challenge.
It is felt that formal homestudy would be preparation for these tests so that it is not required to set other formal homeworks however, individual staff may at their discretion set tasks to be completed at home.
When the students 'sign up' for Advanced Level Maths at the back end of August they will be given a copy of the Module 5 - Higher - examination that the majority of them will have just sat and passed and requested to complete it and hand it in at their first maths lesson (the idea being to refresh the brain in topics that they have already covered) This will be marked and graded.
We are requested by the higher beings in post-16 not to commence teaching the new Advanced level course until the 3rd week of the term - to allow people to chop and change. Students will be given a CGP publication which covers almost exactly the same ground that our old starter packs covered but better! This booklet will provide work for all students until the start of the new course in week 3.
Before the end of the summer term students will be given copies of the Core 1 and Core 2 papers from this summer and asked to complete them during the last two weeks of the summer holiday and hand them in at their first maths lesson in week 1 of the new school year.
These papers will be marked and graded.
In line with the technological age we now are able to use quite complex graphical calculators in mathematics (there is one non calculator paper but they are allowed on all others) At Whitehaven we use the Casio fx-9750G which we are able to sell to students (this year) for £32.50 - students are expected to make the purchase of such a calculator… it will make life easier.
Last updated 9th October2007