Mathematics
Mathematics at high school
In high school, Mathematics begins to cover more abstract ideas than earlier learning. From Year 7, teachers guide students to deepen their understanding of mathematical ideas and how they interconnect.
Rossmoyne Senior High School also runs a selective entry Specialist (Honours) Mathematics program. The program attracts hundreds of applications each year and takes on 25 new students annually. Learn more about Specialist Mathematics.
Class structure and opportunities in Mathematics
Year 7 to 10
All students take a Mathematics class four times a week.
Year 11 and 12
Rossmoyne offers one General and three ATAR Mathematics courses. Students can choose to study one or more of the four courses and will attend each course four times a week. Please see the Curriculum Handbook for details on acceptable and mandatory Mathematics course combinations for Year 11 and 12.
Mathematics in Years 7 to 10
Curriculum in Years 7 to 10 Mathematics
The Mathematics curriculum in WA is divided into three major strands, ‘Number and Algebra’, ‘Measurement and Geometry’, and ‘Statistics and Probability’.
Within each of these strands, students observe and explore numbers, objects, and events within their daily lives and build their capabilities.
From Year 7, students learn to:
- represent numbers in a variety of ways;
- understand the benefits of algebra, through building and applying algebraic models and geometry;
- estimate and selecting appropriate units of measurement;
- explore ways to work with and represent data; and
- make predictions about events based on their observations.
Extension, accelerated, general, and focus classes in Years 7 to 10 Mathematics
From Semester 2 of Year 7, students at Rossmoyne are grouped into Mathematics classes to suit their learning needs. Students are placed into a class based on their results in Semester 1.
In Year 10, students in extension and Specialist Mathematics begin exploring Year 11 content, studying Mathematics Methods (Unit 1) in Semester 1, and Maths Specialist (Unit 1) in Semester 2.
The Mathematics Mainstream courses helps students see that Mathematics is composed of multiple but related and interdependent concepts and systems which they apply beyond the mathematics classroom. The primary focus of the course is to support students in demonstrating the behaviours of Understanding, Fluency, Problem-Solving, and Reasoning in conjunction with year level content in routine situations and familiar contexts.
The Mathematics Accelerated course is for students who have demonstrated very strong ability and work ethic in Mathematics. Year level content is delivered at an accelerated pace to allow time for extension beyond the curriculum and exploration of authentic applications of the year level mathematical concepts. Accelerated students are expected to frequently demonstrate A and B level mathematical behaviours such as applying year level content knowledge in non-routine situations and unfamiliar contexts.
The Mathematics Extension course is for students who have demonstrated exceptional ability and work ethic in Mathematics. Year level content is delivered at an accelerated pace to allow time for extension beyond the curriculum and exploration of authentic applications of the year level and advanced mathematical concepts. Extension students are expected to frequently demonstrate A level mathematical behaviours such as applying year level and advanced content knowledge in non-routine situations and unfamiliar contexts.
The Maths Honours Program is an Approved Specialist program designed to cater for students with exceptional passion and talent for Mathematics. Students can apply as Year 6s and again as Year 7s, if the class has not been filled. Maths Honours teachers stay with their Honours class all the way from Year 7 through to Year 10, fostering strong connections and culture throughout their time together.
The Honours classes follow the same course outline as the Maths Extension course; in addition, there is a strong focus on developing students’ competition and mathematical problem-solving abilities. Learn more about Specialist (Honours) Mathematics
The Maths Focus class delivers a modified program that is student-centred and focused on students’ educational, behavioural, social and emotional strengths and needs. It plans for and provides teaching and learning adjustments to optimise outcomes for students who struggle to access the year-level curriculum. The class is limited to 17 students to allow a lower student : teacher ratio, facilitating a greater degree of teacher support and individual assistance. It is designed to fill the gaps in students’ mathematical fluency and understanding with a view to developing sound functional literacy and ultimately achieving OLNA. By targeting key areas of the primary and secondary Mathematics curriculum, the program allows students to absorb concepts at a pace suitable to them and achieve success in Mathematics. Focus teachers are selected for their passion in educating students who struggle with Maths and their ability to connect with students and break mathematics down into its component parts. They generally stay with their class for 2 – 3 years to allow sufficient time for them to learn students’ individual personalities, needs and challenges and build deep and trusting relationships.
Mathematics in Year 11 and Year 12
Four course options for Mathematics in Year 11 and Year 12
In Year 11 and Year 12 there are four courses of Mathematics study available. Each course is designed to meet the learning needs, interests and abilities of the students enrolled.
- General Mathematics Essential
- ATAR Mathematics Applications
- ATAR Mathematics Methods
- ATAR Mathematics Specialist
Mathematics courses build on prior knowledge and some course combinations are not possible. View a detailed Mathematics pathway structure.
More information
Learning content and opportunities
Read more about what content is covered in classes, and what opportunities are available within each Learning Area in the Curriculum Handbooks.
Curriculum in Western Australia
Read more about the curriculum in WA on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s webpages for Pre-primary to Year 10 and Year 11 and Year 12.