Secondary 1 Mathematics

Secondary 1 is where Mathematics starts to look more abstract — negative numbers, formal algebra and speed all enter the syllabus, on top of a more rigorous treatment of angles and data.

Numbers and data

Prime factorisation, and finding the HCF and LCM of two or three numbers.
Working confidently with negative numbers, and the real number system more broadly.
Collecting, organising and reading data in tables, bar graphs, pictograms, line graphs and pie charts.

Algebra becomes a working tool

Primary school algebra is mostly writing one expression. Secondary 1 asks students to simplify, expand and evaluate expressions routinely, and to move comfortably between words and algebra in both directions. Negative numbers inside algebraic expressions are the usual place small errors creep in.

Qn 1

Simplify 5(2x − 3) − 3(x − 4).

5(2x − 3) = 10x − 15

3(x − 4) = 3x − 12

10x − 15 − 3x + 12 = 7x − 3 ✓

Rate and speed

Speed used to be a Primary school topic; it now enters formally at Secondary 1, alongside rate more generally. Students need the distance–speed–time relationship to be second nature, including converting between units like km/h and m/s, before word problems start combining speed with other topics.

Qn 2

A car travels 180 km in 2.5 hours. Find its average speed.

Average speed = distance ÷ time

Average speed = 180 ÷ 2.5

The car's average speed is 72 km/h ✓

Shapes and angles

Angle properties of triangles, quadrilaterals and other polygons, including angle sums.
Perimeter and area of parallelograms, trapeziums and figures made of several shapes.
Volume and surface area of prisms and cylinders.

Not sure which level or subject fits? Get in touch and describe where your child is at, and we'll suggest a starting point.