We aim to make Mathematics an enjoyable, interesting and worthwhile experience for all pupils. We aim to foster pupils’ perseverance and resourcefulness in solving problems, and to develop their ability to think logically yet creatively, leading to excellent examination results.
The Mathematics department consists of Adam Taylor (Head of Department), Christine Herbert, David Lamb, Alicia Viant and Claire Wike.
Mathionaire 2011
You could cut the atmosphere in the Chapman Theatre with a compass on 9th June - the stage was set, the lights were down and all eyes were fixed on the Year IIIs as they answered maths questions in the hope of being crowned Mathionaire 2011. As the music sounded the tension mounted as Mr Gareth 'Chris Tarrant' Howe fired multiple choice mathematics questions at the contestants. To be named Mathionaire and to claim the prize of a box of chocolates girls had to answer fifteen maths questions correctly. They were not completely alone, each starting with three life lines - ask the audience, 50/50 and phone a friend.
Although no Mathionaire was crowned this year congratulations go to Honor Scott who answered the most amount of questions correctly winning herself a variety of chocolate.
So if you know your parallelogram from your rhombus and can work out 1/3 + 1/4 then you too could take part in Mathionaire. Mathionaire will return to the Chapman Theatre in 2012.
Maths Activity Workshop
On 23rd May Year I took part in a Maths Activity Workshop. Run by Angela Gould from the Department of Education and Professional Studies at Kings College, London, the aim of the day was to build motivation and attainment in Maths. Girls took part in a variety of activities from folding paper to make known mathematical plane figures, to building pyramids in decreasing sizes. Analysing the properties of the planes and solving numerical puzzles girls had a fun filled mathematical day and received lots of prizes for taking part.
Queen Margaret's has close links with Angela and the next activity QM will host with her organisation is a Conference of Maths Teachers on 28th June.
In school the eagerly awaited 2011 edition of Mathionaire will be held on Thursday 9th June at 10am.
Our Lower School programme of study is based firmly on the National Key Stage 3 Strategy, and provides a solid foundation for the IGCSE years.
See also - ipoint links.
In Years III to V, we cover the EdExcel IGCSE qualification in Mathematics. Spreading the course over three years allows for a thorough treatment of each topic, with plenty of time for revision in Year V.
In recent years the department has written its own resources and pupil-centred assessments to support the delivery of the IGCSE course content, and results have risen dramatically. In 2008, our first cohort sat the IGCSE examination, and 37% of girls achieved an A* grade, with a further 27% at grade A, a significant improvement on recent years.
IGCSE Mathematcs exam board link :
www.edexcel.com/quals/igcse/igcse09/maths/mathsA/Pages/default.aspx
See also - ipoint link.
We offer Mathematics and Further Mathematics to both AS and A2 level, again using the EdExcel specification. Mathematics is an increasingly popular choice, and in the current Lower Sixth well over a third of the girls have chosen to study Mathematics. Again, the department has written its own resources to support the course, and examination results are buoyant, with the majority of girls achieving grade A, and often quite comfortably.
The Mathematics course in the lower sixth consists of two units of Core Mathematics and one unit of Mechanics. In the Upper Sixth, there are two more Core Mathematics units and one unit of Decision Mathematics.
The Further Mathematics course in the Lower Sixth consists of two units of Statistics and one unit of Further Pure Mathematics. In the Upper Sixth, there is one more unit each of Mechanics, Decision Mathematics and Further Pure Mathematics.
A-level Mathematics exam board link :
www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/maths/Pages/default.aspx
See also - ipoint link.
Every year we enter girls for the national maths challenges, and a pleasing number gain gold, silver or bronze certificates. We also send a team of Year II and III girls to the annual regional team maths challenge in York.
Local author Kjartan Poskitt (writer of the Murderous Maths series) speaks to Year I and II every two years, and recently we have invited Angela Gould from King’s College, London to run a session on puzzle-solving and paper engineering with Year I.
Year III take part in Who Wants to be a Mathionaire, a glitzy take on the popular television show, held in the school theatre.
Recently, we have taken our Lower Sixth girls to the Maths Inspiration lectures in Leeds, where they learnt about the maths of rock guitar, rollercoaster design, and TV game shows.
Last year we hosted a conference for fifty local maths teachers.