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Mathematics
The subject of Mathematics has been developed over many centuries and there is no single definition of the subject that is generally acceptable over the years.
While Aristotle believed it is a science of quantity, Galileo was of the opinion that it is all about shapes. Gauss proclaimed that Mathematics is the Queen of all the sciences, while Russell and Whitehead saw Mathematics as symbolic logics. These are a few examples of how Mathematics can be seen as an ever-increasing series of abstractions. What Mathematicians have in common is that they seek and use patterns to formulate new conjectures; they resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proof.
A conclusion that can be drawn is that Mathematics is the science that deals with the logics of numbers, shapes, quantity, structures, change and space. While Pure Mathematics is the study of abstract concepts, Applied Mathematics deals with the application of Mathematics to other disciplines.
Mathematics is all around us, in everything we do. It is the building block for everything in our daily lives, including mobile devices, architecture, art, engineering, money, sports and many more. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Mathematics is an interconnected subject in which students need to be able to move fluently between representations of mathematical ideas within the subject and in other subjects.
Students at Eltham Hill explore a variety of topics at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4: Number, Ratio and Proportion, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, and Statistics. We operate a 5-year linear programme of study from Year 7 to Year 11. The programme of study for Key Stage 3 (Years 7 and 8) at Eltham Hill School is organised into three distinct levels, but all students will build on Key Stage 2 learning and connections across mathematical ideas to develop fluency, mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems. The Key Stage 4 programme of study follows smoothly from Key Stage 3.
