Mr McVey’s Mysterious Maths – Christmas 2024 Edition
Sparx Maths
Sparx Maths
Since September, we have answered over 798,638 questions correctly in 7,170 hours across 800 students. This is a tremendous achievement from the students this year on Sparx Maths and we are on track to smash the records they achieved last year.
Sparx XP Boost Competition
The Maths department have been running a Sparx Maths XP Boost competition this half term that finished on the 13th December. All students were able to gain bonus XP on Sparx maths during this time by completing the mini games and XP Boost tasks each week.
The top 3 pupils in each year are:
| Position | Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 |
| 1st | Villo H | Gauri-Radha C | Chloe L | Tilly E | Claudia B |
| 2nd | Eve C | Jaymi R | Esther I | Naomi S | Linah A |
| 3rd | Charlotte P | Rofiat A | Mariam A | Erica C | Lily S |
Well done to everyone who took part and prizes will be passed on to the winners.
Mr Cafferkey
Teacher of Maths
‘ChristMathsy’ Wordsearch
Thinking Mathematically
We are excited to share that Year 7 students have now completed seven weeks of the 20-week Thinking Mathematically research project. This innovative initiative challenges our students to explore and solve mathematical problems, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
The students have shown enthusiasm and resilience as they tackle this different style of problem. They are learning when to persevere with a solution and when to step back and approach a problem from a new angle. This ability to “start again” has helped them develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and encourages a growth mindset. It’s been inspiring to see how they are embracing the challenges with determination and confidence.
One of the highlights of the project so far has been the excellent oracy skills the students are demonstrating. They are articulating their thought processes clearly, explaining how they approach each problem, and collaborating with their peers to explore different solutions. Their ability to discuss, debate and refine their ideas has contributed to their individual growth and the collaborative nature of the project.
I have included some examples of the students work below.
Mrs Phillips
Teacher of Maths
Teaching Mathematics Through Problem Solving
Exploring Mastery in Secondary Mathematics:
Insights from TIMSS 2023 and Local Collaborative Learning
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is a global assessment that tracks student performance in mathematics, science and reading across over 70 countries. Conducted regularly since 1995, it provides valuable insights into trends in student achievement worldwide.
The latest TIMSS 2023 results reveal England’s performance in Year 9 mathematics, which is divided into three key areas: Knowing (35%), Applying (40%), and Reasoning (25%). These results highlight the areas where students excel and where further development is needed, especially when considering international teaching approaches.
Here is a table of the top ten performing countries in year 9.
One such approach is teaching for mastery, particularly prevalent in Eastern Asia. This strategy emphasises deep understanding and problem-solving skills, rather than surface-level memorisation. An example of this approach is the method of neriage, a Japanese term for group discussions and collaborative problem-solving. In neriage, students are encouraged to solve problems individually first, and then engage in a whole-class discussion to refine and share their solutions. This encourages critical thinking and a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
A recent collaborative session at PGHS provided an opportunity for mathematics teachers from local schools to work together on embedding this approach in secondary mathematics teaching. Two mastery maths specialists delivered a live lesson to Year 7 students on the concept of speed, utilising problem-solving techniques. The challenge was to determine which student was the fastest in a race, based solely on their recorded times.
Initially, the students used the times to come up with possible solutions. More information was then provided, such as the distances and times for each student. The students worked collaboratively to solve the problem and discovered that to accurately compare the students’ speed, they needed to have one key piece of information in common—the speed, which could be found by calculating the distance covered in one second. This problem-solving approach mirrored the neriage technique, where students’ individual solutions were shared and refined as part of the whole-class discussion.
This collaborative and problem-solving approach to teaching mathematics aligns with the principles of teaching for mastery seen in Eastern Asia. By focusing on understanding the underlying concepts, such as speed in this case, students are equipped with the tools to solve more complex problems in the future.
The success of the session at PGHS demonstrates the power of collaborative learning and mastery teaching techniques. By continuing to adopt and embed these strategies, we can ensure that students develop a deeper understanding of mathematics, ultimately improving performance in both national and international assessments like TIMSS.
Mrs Bennett
Maths Department
MFL End of Term Thank You
What a busy first term it has been here in the MFL department! As the term draws to a close, I would like to thank all our students for working so hard in their French and German lessons and giving their all. Year 7 have worked on learning how to introduce themselves, Year 8 Germanists have learned how to describe their past holidays and learned our new favourite word, ‘Kakerlaken’ and Year 8 French students have learned how to introduce themselves, give personal information and opinions. Year 9 pupils have also been working hard and have produced some lovely letters and cards to send over to France and Germany. A huge well done to Year 11 for working through a really busy term and mock exams, pushing towards our goals next year and taking on the new challenges as we prepare for our mock speaking exams in January. A big cheer for our Year 10 students embarking on their first term of GCSE French and German and producing some outstanding results in their recent Module 1 assessments alongside a brilliant attitude. Well done, all!
Frau Gill
Nikolaustag
The Christmas celebrations kicked off early in Germany last Friday, 6th December, marking der Nikolaustag in many German-speaking countries. On this day, children prepare for the visit of St. Nikolaus by tidying their rooms, cleaning their toys, and polishing their shoes, which are then placed by the door or on a windowsill. Some even leave hay or straw for St. Nikolaus’ donkey. If the children have been good, Nikolaus fills their shoes with sweet treats and toys. However, if they haven’t been so well-behaved, they might find twigs and sticks instead! Our KS3 classes experienced this tradition last week by making their own German boots and setting them out. I wonder who received treats and who got twigs? Here is a video that our KS3 students will watch this week, explaining the traditional story of Nikolaustag.
https://kinder.wdr.de/tv/die-sendung-mit-der-maus/av/video-lachgeschichte-nikolaus-100.html
Mrs Gill, Curriculum Leader for MFL
Year 11 German and French Speaking Exams
The second and final mock speaking exams for Year 11 will take place on Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd, and Thursday 23rd January 2025. This is a valuable opportunity for students to gain extra practise ahead of their final exams. Your class teacher will provide further details and help you prepare. Exam times will be posted on Mrs. Gill’s door after Christmas, so be sure to check them and ensure you are fully prepared.
Mrs Gill, Curriculum Leader for MFL
A-Level Visit from Cardinal Newman College for Year 11
This term, five students from Cardinal Newman College visited our Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) department and Mrs. Gill. Among them were several former students from Penwortham Girls’ High School, now pursuing A-Level German at the college.
During their visit, the students not only shared their experiences of learning German but also offered fascinating insights into life in Germany. They discussed cultural aspects, everyday experiences, and the practical applications of the language in real-world settings.
In addition, they provided an overview of the A-Level German curriculum, highlighting key topics and skills that students develop throughout the course. Their enthusiasm for the language and the opportunities it offers was truly inspiring.
We all had a wonderful time together, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to the Cardinal Newman College students for their visit.
Mrs Gill, Curriculum Leader for MFL
Design and Technology Department
As we come to the end of the first full term of the school year, we would like to reflect on some of the exciting work that has been taking place in the Design and Technology department.
Textiles club has got off to a really great start with large numbers of Year 8 students regularly attending on a Thursday lunchtime. So far, we have been creating stuffed toys using felt and lots of hand-stitching techniques; some of which they have remembered from Textiles in Year 7. Next half term, the students are going to be teaching each other crochet. Some year 8 students are already skilled at crochet and so it will be good to have them tutoring each other.
Year 11s have been busily getting stuck into the ‘prototyping’ stage of their final GCSE coursework pieces. The girls are working exceptionally hard and have been making me very proud by seeing how they have taken such a mature and motivated approach to this challenging section of the Design & Technology GCSE. We look forward to seeing them begin their final products after Christmas. Keep up the great work, Year 11!
Mrs Moss
Curriculum Co-ordinator for Design Technology
