A science is not really developed until it has learned to make use of mathematics.

——Karl Marx

Like any good international school, The King’s School Shenzhen is meticulous in planning its mathematics curriculum. We combine world-leading teaching methods with a wide range of opportunities to take part in competitions to provide our students with multi-faceted support on their journey from mastering basic maths skills to developing advanced mathematical thinking.

Selecting Teaching Materials: Consolidating the Basics

From the first year of Prep to the final year of Senior, KSS ensures that students have learning materials suited to their age and ability at their disposal, so that they are always gaining the right knowledge and facing the right degree of challenge. After a careful and comprehensive selection process, our choice has fallen on the Singapore mathematics curriculum as the main source of our teaching materials for Grades 1 to 5.

Students at The King’s School Shenzhen come to us from many different cultural backgrounds and educational systems. The Singapore maths curriculum is clearly structured, offers step-by-step guidance through the exercises, and has questions that are applicable to daily life, making it suitable for the learning requirements of children from any background. The learning materials are entirely in English, so that students simultaneously improve on their maths and English abilities.

What’s more, the underlying logic of the Singapore maths curriculum is very similar to the pedagogy of the Chinese maths curriculum, with both emphasising the understanding and application of mathematical knowledge, rather than rote learning and repetitive exercises. This kind of teaching, focussing on deep understanding and critical thinking, allows children to build a strong foundation for their maths, on which they can further develop their ability to solve complex problems.

Furthermore, Singapore maths provides classroom materials, self-study materials, and advanced materials ranging in difficulty. This diversity of materials allows our teachers to offer even more individualised support, ensuring that every student is able to learn at their own level. Another benefit is that it is easier for parents to follow what their child is learning in class, allowing them to offer more effective support at home.

Upon entering Grade 6, our students transition to the Cambridge maths curriculum, which is taught entirely in English to optimally prepare them for their IGCSE and A Level examinations in Senior School. At the same time, they will be introduced to famous mathematical treatises like The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art and Euclid’s Elements, as well as useful online resources. This will allow them to understand mathematical concepts from a range of angles, expanding their mathematical framework and preparing them for future study and challenges.

Creative Teaching: Unlocking Mathematical Potential

Studying maths requires a step-by-step approach. KSS employs a range of teaching methods according to the different ages, levels of understanding, and learning requirements of our students to ensure that they effectively master every element of the curriculum.

Grade 1-3: We primarily use the CPA (concrete, pictorial, abstract) approach, first teaching students to differentiate concrete shapes, then gradually building their understanding of pictures, and finally arriving at abstract thinking. 

Grade 4-5: As students enter Grade 4, the content of their maths classes becomes more complex, and our teaching strategy adjusts accordingly. Through contextualisation, concrete teaching, and combining numbers and shapes, we encourage the deepening of their understanding of mathematical concepts. Teachers pay close attention to their individual students, using methods such as inquiry-based learning and differentiated instruction to ensure that every student learns at their own pace.

Grade 6-7: We adjust our teaching once more for the final years of Prep School, with students’ maths lessons now fully in English. Students improve on their independent thinking ability, problem solving ability, and ability to work in teams through such approaches as task-based learning, inquiry-based learning, play-based learning, and project-based learning. At the same time, our teachers practise differentiated instruction to meet the individual learning needs of each student, providing them with tailor-made learning pathways.

Grade 8 and above: Once our students reach the IGCSE and A Level stages of their education, their teachers will provide them with expert advice on their university applications and plans for the future. They will also adopt structured and highly-targeted teaching methods to help their students progressively achieve higher levels of mastery of mathematical knowledge and skills.

Additional Maths Challenges: Displaying Talent on the International Stage

In addition to our regular maths teaching, KSS also actively arranges for students to take part in international mathematics challenges, like the UKMT Maths Challenge, the Caribou Maths Contest, and the Math Kangaroo, which allow them to test their skills in a competitive setting and experience the atmosphere of international competition.

By taking part in these competitions, students get to use the skills they’ve learnt outside of the classroom, further improving their mathematical reasoning ability and ability to solve complex problems. In addition to the glory of success in competition, their achievements in these contests pave the way for future success in their academics and careers.

UKMT Maths Challenge: a British maths challenge, the most popular and influential one in the UK.

Caribou Maths Contest: the North American Caribou contest is a global online maths competition officially supported by the Canadian Mathematical Society.

Math Kangaroo: the Kangaroo maths competition is the global gold-standard for children’s international maths contests.

Last month, 16 of our Senior School pupils took part in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Competition. No fewer than 12 of them managed to win an award for their performance, with 7students winning a gold award for finishing in the top 10% of all participants worldwide. Many congratulations to them for their amazing performance!

Every subject at KSS is taught in line with our bespoke curriculum, so that we can provide our students with the outstanding education they deserve. We support our students in their pursuit of academic excellence, and work hard to unlock their full potential, so that they lay a firm foundation for their future studies and careers with us at King’s!