Mathematics

Should I study Mathematics?

You should be a competent Mathematician who expects to get a high GCSE grade.

Ideally, you should be enjoying Maths...

In addition, you should be prepared for some hard work – you’ll be rewarded with the best A Level, but no-one finds it easy.

This is what the course looks like:

Course Content

• AS Level students will complete two Pure Maths modules (C1 and C2) and one applied Maths Module (Mechanics M1 or Statistics S1).

• C3, C4 and S2 or M2 can then be studied to complete the full A Level in Year 13…

Module C1

• Co-ordinate Geometry• Improving your Algebra• Extending knowledge of Polynomials• Graphs• Introducing Calculus

Module C2

• Trigonometry• Sequences• The Binomial Theorem• Exponents and Logarithms• Further Calculus work

C3 and C4

• These Pure Maths modules are taught and tested in year 13 along with one more applied module.

• This will probably be Mechanics 2 or Statistics 2 depending on what was studied in Year Twelve.

Mechanics

The mechanics course is an area of applied mathematics that offers an insight into the following:

Newton’s Laws of Motion

Velcity, Displacement, Acceleration and their graphs

Momentum

Forces and Equilibrium

ProjectilesCircular Motion

Statistics

The statistics course studies these ideas, and others:

Representing location & spread of data

Probability & Combinatorial Problems

Statistical Distributions

Correlation & Regression

Hypothesis TestingSampling

Further Mathematics

• This course gives students the chance to prepare more thoroughly for a university degree in Mathematics or a related subject.

• It requires a high degree of commitment. The quantity of Mathematics is more significant than the difficulty of each topic.

Further Mathematics

• Students will cover C1, C2 and S1 in term one of Year 12.

• They will go on to study FP1 (Further Pure), Mechanics 1 and Decision 1.

• These units will all be assessed in June of year 12 to give AS qualifications in Mathematics, and in Further Mathematics.

Assessment

We use past A level module exam papers to assess performance prior to module exams.

This is to check overall progress against targets – parents are informed of these grades.

Homework

We set homework to follow up most lessons.

We don’t always grade or level this work, but we will give constructive criticism.

Students are expected to follow up work done in class with plenty of practice.

Here’s where some of the work could take you, at A Level and beyond...

"I have never done anything 'useful'. No discovery of mine has made, or is likely to make, directly or indirectly, for good or ill, the least difference to the amenity of the world."[ G H Hardy.

100 years later the Maths that Hardy developed underpins:

modern geneticsquantum mechanicsthe banking systeminternet security.