Mathematics

Level 3 Pathway - In order to enrol onto our Level 3 courses, students must have achieved a minimum of 5 grade 4s at GCSE Level across 4 different subject areas; this should ideally include a Grade 4 for English Language and Mathematics.

It is important that students also pay attention to any individual subject entry requirements.

It may be that a small number of students are recommended to sit AS qualifications at the end of Year 12 in order to inform decisions about progression into Year 13, however these AS examinations are standalone and do not contribute to the overall A Level qualification.

Why?

Mathematics is the most popular A level subject in the UK with over 93,000 entries each year. Studying mathematics can be a stepping stone into a wide variety of careers including accountancy, business, computing, economics, engineering, finance, mathematical modelling, medicine, science, statistics and technology. Mathematics is welcomed by all universities as a facilitating subject and is an essential requirement for entry to a large number of degrees. If you feel you have mastered most of the grade 6, 7, 8 and 9 topics at GCSE then you will enjoy developing your skills further with this course.

Course Structure

The A level is a linear course and the content will be assessed by two internal examinations at the end of the year. Both exams are 90 minutes hours and equally weighted. The first exam covers Pure Maths and Statistics and the second covers Pure Mathematics and Mechanics.

There are three Overarching Themes:

• Mathematical argument, language and proof
• Mathematical problem solving
• Mathematical modelling

The subject content is divided into three areas: Pure Mathematics, Statistics and Mechanics. The Overarching Themes are applied along with associated mathematical thinking and understanding across the whole of the subject content.

Pure Mathematics

Proof, algebra and functions, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, exponentials and logarithms, differentiation, integration and vectors.

Statistics

Sampling, data presentation and interpretation, probability, statistical distributions and statistical hypothesis testing.

Mechanics

Quantities and units in mechanics, kinematics, forces and Newton’s laws.

The second year of the course will re-visit topics from the first year, developing them further and examining them more rigorously. A number of additional topics will be introduced including sequences and series and numerical methods. The course will be assessed terminally by three examinations at the end of the year. All exams are 2 hours and equally weighted. The first exam covers Pure Mathematics, the second Pure and Statistics and the third covers Pure Mathematics and Mechanics.

Extended Learning

Assessments based on actual A Level questions will be set at the end of each topic and marked with reference to the examination criteria. In addition students will be expected to practise techniques to embed their knowledge and develop their understanding between lessons.

Ideally grade 6 GCSE Mathematics