|
T H E E N G L I S H N A T I O N A L P R O G R A M M E
|
 |
|
|
T H E E N G L I S H N A T I O N A L P R O G R A M M E
|
|
The mathematics course is based upon the UK National Curriculum. Mathematics for ages 5-16 is organised within four Key Stages covering different age ranges. Key Stage 3 (KS3) covers the Collège year groups 6ème, 5ème and 4ème. Key Stage 4 (KS4) covers 3ème in the Collège and 2nde in the Lycée. The National Curriculum has been frequently revised and as revisions occur in the UK they are examined by the ENP mathematics department and put into practice as appropriate.
Click here for information on the National Curriculum for Mathematics
Within each Key Stage, programmes of study set out what pupils should be taught, and attainment targets set out the expected standard of pupils’ performance.
At Key Stages 3 and 4 there are five Programmes of Study:
"Using and Applying Mathematics", as the name suggests, deals with the development of pupils' questioning, interpreting and explaining skills. This, clearly, is not a separate topic but an integral and essential aspect of all mathematics (i.e. using and applying the mathematics within the other Programmes of Study). The other four Programmes of Study deal more specifically with content.
In each case details are given about what the pupils should be given opportunities to do, and what they should be taught. There is an extra section, "Key Stage 4: Further Material" detailing other content which should be taught to pupils in KS4 where appropriate.
Standards of pupils’ performance are set out in eight level descriptions of increasing difficulty, with an additional description above level 8. At the end of KS3 (i.e. at the end of 4ème), the great majority of pupils should be within the range of levels 3 to 7. Level 8 is available for very able pupils and, to help teachers differentiate exceptional performance at KS3, the description above level 8 is provided.
At KS4, public examinations are the main means of assessing attainment in the National Curriculum, therefore the scale of level descriptions does not apply.
There are four Attainment Targets
Of course, with more lessons devoted per week to mathematics in France than in the UK, added to the additional ENP mathematics time, pupils will tend to be at a slightly more advanced level than the UK's suggested figures.
A substantial range of mathematical ability and knowledge is present within each teaching group in Collège, with a number of pupils experiencing a fair degree of difficulty with the subject, and this is taken into account in planning and organisation.
When working on projects and investigations pupils will start together and will be working on the same tasks for most of the time. Questions and tasks are set in such a way as to allow each pupil to follow their own lines of thinking and understanding and draw their own conclusions as far as they can, with more guidance given to weaker pupils. New ideas and concepts are then shared, discussed and noted to allow all pupils to learn from the work and proceed to the next task. Resources including further questions, prompts and ideas are available to allow more able pupils to progress as far as possible.
There is a much smaller range of ability in Lycée classes. In Seconde, where pupils’ studies are focussed on the GCSE exam taken in June entry levels are decided in April. From this time Intermediate Tier pupils will only study, revise and practice mathematics up to the appropriate level whilst Higher Tier pupils will continue to learn the extra content. Groups will continue to work together however on further Intermediate content and also on parallel past paper practice.