Strength in numbers

Head of Maths, Dr Glen Collins, has a vision for the subject at Sherborne Girls. He wants to build on its popularity as a problem-solving tool that prepares girls for the future.

Many people are surprised when I tell them that Maths is the second-most popular subject at Sherborne Girls post-16. This is perhaps because they have their own negative memories of the discipline, or because they don’t stereotypically expect girls to be drawn to it.

But we ensure it is an intellectually rich experience to study Maths at School. We draw out the problem-solving elements, encouraging girls to work collaboratively as they progress through their time at Sherborne Girls. In this way, the discipline coheres with our Learner Profile, helping pupils develop attributes such as curiosity and critical thinking.

Our approach involves a steady accumulation of mathematical techniques, skills and knowledge. In the Fourth and Fifth Form, we are building foundations, helping girls grow in confidence and understand that Maths is stimulating and fun. As a result, by the time they consider A Level choices, they have an appreciation of the discipline ’ s capacity to aid their personal growth and development, as well as stretching them mentally.

What’ s more, they throw themselves into extra-curricular Maths with gusto. Witness our success in the Maths Olympiads, which involve girls working in teams to solve a problem over the course of a day or more of competition. These events are a bit like a mathematical murder mystery, with each clue building to the ultimate solution. This demonstrates that Maths is about so much more than number crunching: it is principally a means of developing problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and resilience. The fact it is also utterly fascinating simply enhances its appeal. This speaks of another feature of the discipline that can easily be overlooked: it stretches the imagination and inspires creativity. Take my favourite part of the discipline – algebra – as a case in point.

Solving algebraic problems is a creative act. There is a solution if only you have eyes to see it. The moment of recognition that comes when a pupil finds it for themselves is the main reason I became a Maths teacher.

I am inspired by the thought of sharing my passion with young people and helping them develop skills for the future. This is about so much more than teaching abstract formulae or improving numeracy. It is about casting a vision for what Maths brings to contemporary society, showing its impact on the wider world.

With initiatives like the Level 2 NVQ that our GCSE top set takes as a bridge to A Level and our ongoing involvement in events such as the Olympiads, I believe Maths is on a positive trajectory at Sherborne Girls. We currently have 26 L6 girls studying the subject at A Level and many U5s already expressing an interest in the Maths courses post-16. Sherborne Girls is forming the next generation of mathematical minds to shape the world through their problem-solving prowess and powers of reasoning. I can ’t wait to see the difference they make.