The Mathematics Department at The Avon Valley School is an exciting, vibrant place to be. Our teaching is classroom-based and uses a range of approaches, including oral work, carefully modelled written examples and purposeful practice. At the heart of everything we do is a strong focus on meeting the different needs of students, and a great deal of time is spent providing individual support both within lessons and beyond the classroom.
It is common to see members of the department working with individuals or small groups at lunchtimes, after school or at other convenient times. This commitment to supporting students academically and personally is a key strength of the department.
Revision and Retention
We support long-term retention and mathematical fluency through a spiral curriculum in which key topics are built up over time. Rather than teaching a topic in one long block and then moving on, students encounter ideas in smaller steps, return to them regularly, and extend them each time. These repeated encounters create powerful recall opportunities that strengthen memory, deepen understanding and allow learning to be connected and extended.
Across all year groups, we place a strong emphasis on recall and retrieval practice through regular recall starters and retrieval activities in lessons. These ensure that previously taught knowledge is revisited frequently and that gaps can be identified and addressed. In Years 7-9, homework is set through a digital platform that combines mixed recall, curriculum-aligned practice and immediate feedback. In Years 10-11, students also complete weekly mixed-recall homework alongside digital practice to maintain fluency across the GCSE specification.
We further support retention through a weekly programme of after-school revision and support. In 2025-26, this includes a Year 11 targeted revision session on Tuesdays, a Key Stage 3 drop-in revision session on Wednesdays, and a combined Year 10 and Year 11 drop-in session on Thursdays, where students can bring questions or topics of their own choosing.
Finally, past papers and revision materials are available free from MA1 at any time, allowing students to practise exam-style questions and prepare effectively for assessments.
All of these areas are delivered in small parts, no more than a couple of weeks in duration. All topics are interrelated and constantly refer to others. Each topic will consist of problem solving, challenge and hence a need for resilience. Alongside this is a constant need to recall basic facts and revisit older topics. All topics can be studied and practised on www.drfrostmaths.com and https://maths.sparx-learning.com. In Year 7, Students are allocated to ability groupings after 1 month in order to give more targeted challenges.
Maths in Year 7
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Maths in Year 8
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Maths in Year 9
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Edexcel GCSE Mathematics
Mathematics is a lifelong learning subject, and all students follow the National Curriculum throughout Key Stages 3 and 4. Teaching and assessment cover the full range of mathematical areas, including Number, Ratio and Proportion, Algebra, Geometry, Probability and Statistics.
Students are assessed regularly using GCSE-style assessments, helping them to become familiar with the structure, language and expectations of formal examinations from an early stage. All assessments are followed by detailed feedback and a structured “Closing the Gap” process, allowing students to address misconceptions and demonstrate improvement. Summaries of this process can be found in students’ exercise books, and assessment papers are shared with parents to support revision at home.
All students study Edexcel GCSE mathematics. The final tier of entry is decided carefully and collaboratively to ensure that each student is entered for the examination that gives them the best possible change of success. The qualification consists of three written examination papers at the end of Year 11: one non-calculator paper and two calculator papers, each lasting one and a half hours. Together, these assess the full breadth of the curriculum across Number, Algebra, Geometry, Ratio and Proportion, Probability and Statistics.
Students are given frequent opportunities to practise exam-style questions and full examination papers. After each assessment, teachers review the paper with students before they complete a “Closing the Gap” assessment, identifying key strengths and areas for development. Practice papers are then shared with parents, alongside clear guidance on next steps.
Edexcel GCSE Statistics
In addition to GCSE mathematics, the department offers Edexcel GCSE statistics as a Year 10 option for students studying higher tier mathematics (typically sets 1 and 2). Statistics is the study of data and what it tells us about the world, and it plays a major role in many modern subjects, careers and real-life decision making.
Students develop their understanding of how data is collected, represented, analysed and interpreted. The course includes work on different types of data and sampling methods, statistical diagrams, such as pie charts and scatter graphs, and the use of summary statistics and probability to identify patterns, trends and relationships. Students also apply these techniques to real-world contexts, including populations, climate, science, business and social issues.
The course is designed to develop students’ ability to think critically about data, including recognising how statistics can be used to inform, persuade and mislead. It also supports and strengthens learning in GCSE mathematics and provides strong preparation for A level mathematics and other subjects that make use of statistical analysis.
Edexcel GCSE statistics is assessed through two 90-minute calculator examinations at the end of the course.