COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Edexcel Students will need a grade 8 or above at GCSE.
They also need to take A Level Mathematics.
WHAT IS THE COURSE CONTENT AND HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
YEAR 1/AS CORE PURE MATHEMATICS 1
Proof by induction, complex numbers, matrices, series, further calculus, vectors and planes.
YEAR 1/AS OPTIONAL MODULES
There are a number of optional modules in A level further maths.
At St Nicholas’ we study the following:
Further Mechanics 1 – Conservation of momentum, Newton’s law of restitution, and Work, Energy and Power.
Further Pure 1
Vector products, conic sections, t-formulae, numerical methods for differential equations.
The course is arranged so that all the AS content is studied in Year 1 and any student not wishing to study the full A Level in Further Maths can sit an AS in Further Maths at the end of Year 12
YEAR 2 CORE PURE MATHEMATICS 2
Further complex numbers, method of differences, further calculus, polar coordinates, hyperbolic functions, differential equations.
YEAR 2 OPTIONS
Further Mechanics 1 – As in Year 1 but with 2D motion, and with the addition of Springs and Oblique Collisions.
Further Pure 1 – Further conic sections, Taylor series, further methods in calculus and limits, numerical integration, reducible differential equations.
Four exams at the end of Year 13 each 90 minutes long. Two papers will cover the Core Pure maths content and there is one paper for each of the optional modules.
Students are asked to take Further Mathematics as a fourth subject alongside 3 other A Level subjects in order to maintain a broad choice of post-18 options. However, they are able to drop down to 3 subjects later in Year 12 or 13 if they wish but this will be subject to agreeing to take advice academically from the Mathematics Department and pastorally from the Sixth Form Leadership team.
A-Level Exam Board:
Edexcel
Contact details:
Head of department Mrs H Yeates
h.yeates@st-nicholas.cheshire.sch.uk
ST NICHOLAS EXTRA:
Comprehensive program of support and preparation for students sitting University entrance exams, including Mathematics Aptitude Test (MAT – Oxford), Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA – Warwick + others) or Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP – Cambridge), as well as for other maths related courses such as the Physics Aptitude Test (PAT) and BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT). Students are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities. These include UKMT Senior Challenge, UKMT Senior Team Challenge and University of Southampton Cipher Challenge.
