Maths

At The Gower School, all our children learn in a concrete, hands-on way before moving on to more abstract concepts. All the core elements of the National Curriculum Numeracy Strategy, including mental strategies, problem solving and investigation are covered and exceeded. In addition, our independent status enables us to bring Montessori methods into our teaching.

Pupils will be able to think individually in applied and abstract ways and should progress from counting reliably to calculating fluently with all four maths operations. In Upper School (Forms Three to Six) this will be extended to include decimals, fractions, percentages, measurements, geometry, data handling, probability and simple algebra, as well as problem-solving operations which steadily increase in difficulty.

The amount of mathematics in everyday use is extensive and often cross-curricular. It is taught individually or in small groups and is all child-focused, providing us with the opportunity to differentiate extensively. We also hold an annual Maths Day with a visiting company which specialises in teaching problem-solving.