We live in challenging times - where nationally and especially locally in the Forest of Dean, Maths often carries a negative perception, with society accepting or even expecting failure with numeracy.  All around us the application of Maths can be seen more than ever in the gadgets and everyday technology we enjoy, yet many people admit that they are not good at Maths. The future for our young people will involve more Maths, Science and Engineering innovation than during any time in history, so at Dene Magna we are keen to foster a love of Maths. 

Here we continually challenge any negative stereotype, making Maths fun, engaging and most importantly, relevant by linking purpose to our learning.  Rather than deliver a dry curriculum, our students learn how to apply Maths skills to everyday life, whether shopping, building something or analysing sport.  

As you can see, we have a large team containing people of all ages and backgrounds.

As a deliberate strategy, KS3 students are encouraged to explore and discover Maths in a variety of ways, both in and out of the classroom with themed lessons and practical activities. KS4 students learn to grasp the many concepts and methods required to prove Mathematical competency for the widest range of careers, and with many students choosing to study KS5 Maths with us, they learn to wrestle with advanced processes and concepts in order to access the most prestigious apprenticeships or university places. 

In addition to holding Easter competitions and our renowned 'Black Friday' lessons, we have also organised trips to local farms and the London Science Museum. We run KS4 trips to Florence every few years, where we explore the culture and museums of Galileo and Leonardo Da Vinci. 

As well as offering support for students who aren't natural mathematicians, for our most able students we are pleased to offer the additional qualification of GCSE Extended Maths during KS4.

The Maths team bring years of experience, not just in teaching, but in applying Maths in previous careers, whether in banking, engineering and ICT.  We build strong relationships with students and by sharing our lives and experiences, students understand how they will use Maths in their own lives too.  Feel free to visit www.weneedmaths.com - a Maths application website built by one of our Maths team that is used regularly in lessons.

Our overwhelming goal on a daily basis is simply to teach well. Lessons are inspiring and engaging with students taking responsibility for their learning by often choosing the level of challenge in a lesson, by completing consistent ILT (Independent Learning Tasks), and by showing initiative to access support and available staff when stuck.  Our KS5 students especially are taught to think independently and put in significant personal time in order to learn around the lesson content. The national curriculum is broken down into a progressive flow and taught with strategy, and students prove their abilities and understanding in examinations as an outcome of learning rather than the purpose for it.  You can explore the key stage 3 and 4 flows of learning below by clicking the document links. 

Come and visit our purpose-built Maths block and you'll hear laughter, excitement and even singing. It's not dull, it's deliberately vibrant and a bit eccentric. Welcome to Dene Magna Maths - we're on a mission to challenge the negative stereotype of Maths learning in our nation, and to raise STEM aspirations and achievement in our beautiful but challenging locality.

You can find out more about our intent and strategy for each key stage by downloading the documents below.

 Click here for information on A-level Mathematics

Click here for information on our revision strategy for exams