Staff

The Department is staffed by nine energetic and caring teachers who love their subject.

Our aim is always to communicate this love, to develop and nurture it in pupils, to make them realise that maths is not an impossibly rarefied skill that only a few can acquire, and at the same time to enable everyone to achieve the most competitive exam results possible.

We are a lively and unified department, constantly striving to be innovative and up-to-date in our approach and to make the maths studies relevant and contemporary.

The Head of Department is Mrs Sue Mc Petrie. She can be contacted at smcpetrie@bishops.org.za Curricula

Mathematics Grade 8 – 12

We follow the national South African Mathematics curriculum and write the Department of Education National Senior Certificate in Grade 12.

The final Bishops Grade 12 WCED Maths results have been impressive over the past few years with a grade average in the region of 70% and over 40 distinctions on the HG in 2005 - 2007.

Maths Literacy  Grade 10 – 12

Maths Literacy is a new subject offered to pupils who cannot cope with core  Mathematics course. It focuses on areas in real life where Mathematics is needed and provides pupils with an awareness and understanding of the role that Mathematics has in the modern world. Pupils following this course would not go onto study any Science or Business Degree at University.

We have about 15 boys in each of Grades 10 to 12 who benefit from this option.

Advance Program Mathematics Grade 10 – 12

Additional Mathematics is now known as Advanced Program (AP) Mathematics and, although no longer a matric subject offered by the  Department of Education, it can be written through the IEB. A separate certificate will be issued on passing this examination.

It is taught to pupils in the top Maths set of each grade.

Post Matric

Bishops offers both the Cambridge AS and A level courses. Students are required to complete Pure I and one of Statistics I, Mechanics 1 or Pure 2 for the AS-level and then Pure 3 and one other option for the full A-level certification.

The Setting System

There is a “setting system” in place and each grade has 6 or 7 maths sets. Whilst each set teacher will teach and assess in his or her own particular way, we regularly have Common Tests and other forms of assessment across a Grade to help us ensure that boys are in the set most suited to their abilities and potential and that they are being taught at the pace that best suits them.

Competition Mathematics SA Maths Olympiad:

Boys in the top 2 sets write Round 1. About 50% of these go through to Round 2 and about 3 to 5 boys advance to Round 3 each year. In 2007 one of our Grade 9 pupils was a top 10 finalist for Round 3.

UCT Maths Competition:

Bishops has been the overall winner or runner up of this competition over the last decade. We won in 2008 and set a record for having all 5 individuals participating from one grade coming in the top 10 two years in a row.

Technology and the Laptop Program

We use computers and information technology as an integral part of our teaching.
Staff use their data projectors and interactive software like Autograph and Geometer’s sketchpad for demonstration purposes or as an investigative tool for pupils. Pupils in Grade 9 and 10 use their laptops when the section of work being taught is conducive to the use of Excel spreadsheets or free software like Geogebra.

Maths Support Program

The Maths Support Program runs in the afternoons and is offered to any pupil who has missed work due to absence or is having difficulties and requires additional help.