Mathematics and Commerce

“Every child is a self-directed learner and creative problem solver.”
 –vision of Mathematics department.

As a department, we work towards enabling our students to apply Mathematical concepts and skills in their daily lives. As such, we aim to develop our students to be effective and confident problem solvers and equip them with the ability to think critically.

They will be able to communicate their ideas and thoughts using appropriate Mathematical concepts and possess Mathematical process skills. 

Subjects under Mathematics department: Mathematics, Principles of Accounts (POA) and Retail Operations.

Mathematics

The department believes strongly in building a strong foundation in the subject as well as providing an enriching and engaging learning experience for our students in the classrooms. This is done through the use of various teaching and learning approaches, including collaborative learning, self-directed learning and ICT-infused teaching and learning.

With every student owing a Personal Learning Device now, the teachers in the department design ICT enriched learning experiences for all the students so that they can use these digital resources to learn according to their needs and interests and to collaborate with one another, anytime and anywhere. 

The department’s assessment approaches include Assessment for Learning (AfL) and Assessment of Learning (AoL). These include pen and paper assessments, chapter graded assignments, performance tasks, on-line assessments, reflection journals and projects.

Principles of Accounts (POA) 

The subject POA is offered as an elective subject for the Upper Secondary Express and Normal (Academic) courses. Students offering POA are introduced to the principles and concepts of accounting and their applications in a variety of business situations. In the learning process, students will develop an understanding of the importance of professional ethics.

The POA unit’s teaching and learning approach is to help students construct their POA knowledge by building upon their pre-existing knowledge and experiences. This is done through the use of examples and experiences that students can easily relate to and through the use of newspapers articles when real-life examples are available. Whenever possible, connections to learning from previous topics are made to help students see the links between the different topics in the syllabus.

Retail Operations (RO)

Over a two-year period, Secondary 3 and 4 students in the Normal (Technical) stream will learn how to promote a retail store’s products, manage its inventory and serve customers. During this period of time, there is hands-on learning where students are exposed to the world of retailing through practical and theory lessons in a simulated retail setting. 

Retailing skills such as handling and displaying merchandise, managing inventory levels, performing housekeeping duties and interacting with customers are emphasised. On top of these, the curriculum also calls for soft skills to be taught. Aside from learning how to effectively engage a customer, the importance of teamwork and being professional when a customer is angry or frustrated is also highlighted in lessons. 

Self-directed learning is another characteristic of the syllabus where students would need to independently research for their practical assessments and presentations. 

In a nutshell, the learning objectives of the subject encapsulate the basic retailing skills needed for students to better appreciate and understand the industry. 

Mathematics

• GCE O Level Mathematics
• GCE O Level Additional Mathematics
• GCE N(A) Level Mathematics Syllabus A
• GCE N(T) Level Mathematics Syllabus T

Principles of Accounts (POA)

• GCE O Level POA
• GCE N Level POA

Retail Operations (RO)

• Retail Operations

Mathematics

As a department, we had organised various signature programmes to engage our students at the different academic levels. This is to make learning of Mathematics fun and engaging so that students can apply their Mathematical concepts and skills learnt during curriculum lessons outside classrooms in their everyday lives. 

Some examples include the learning journey to Gardens by the Bay for the lower secondary students. On these learning journeys, students are tasked to solve different problems at various stations using mobile gadgets. In addition, they also get to solve questions related to their knowledge in Science, Humanities and Physical Education during these two inter-departmental learning journeys to deepen their learning. 

For normal academic curriculum, we adopt different modes of teaching to suit students with different readiness and interests. For example, we conduct the Mathematics Foundation Programme for the Secondary 1 students who have completed the Foundation Mathematics in primary school to help them bridge learning gaps.