Mathematics

Students will practise and use mathematics by:

• Applying essential numeracy skills to everyday situations
• Applying mathematical concepts to a range of difference contexts 
• Analysing and interpreting data in a range of contexts 
• Understanding statistics to inform decisions/interpretations of events.
• Completing problem-solving questions to develop their problem-solving skills
• Articulating their thoughts and reasoning behind their calculations and working.

Students work on the main strands of number, algebra, statistics, proportional reasoning and shape space and measure. They are required to firstly master their mathematical fluency in these areas so that they can then apply these skills to reasoning and problem solving.

They learn about place value, fractional thinking, powers, estimating, perimeter and area, sequences, equations, data collection and interpretation, graphs and charts, percentages, ratio and proportion. These skills are key for all students and they need to be fluent in them all to enable them to apply their knowledge to solving increasingly more demanding problems.

Students build on the strong foundations laid down in key stage three and continue to focus on the main strands of number, algebra, statistics, proportional reasoning and shape space and measure, again with the aim of improved reasoning and problem solving.

Some of the more advanced topics extending on from key stage 3 include functions, quadratic inequalities, circle theorems, construction and loci, advanced trigonometry, conditional probability and vectors.

There is also the opportunity to study Further Maths, which will really help to stretch and push them to fulfil and even exceed their potential.

A-level maths is comprised of pure mathematics, statistics and mechanics, with pure being two thirds of the content and statistics and mechanics accounting for the other third. This builds particularly on the algebra skills the students have gained at key stage 4.

Pure mathematics consists of algebra, coordinate geometry, binomial expansion, trigonometry, series, exponentials and logarithms, differentiation, integration, parametric equations and vectors.

Statistics covers sampling, data presentation and interpretation, probability, statistical distributions, hypothesis testing and correlation and regression.

Mechanics involves kinematics, forces and Newton’s laws, statics, dynamics, moments and vectors.

A-Level Further maths is also something we offer at key stage 5. It is made up of core maths, further pure maths, and decision maths and is studied alongside A-level maths. It consists of complex numbers, series, roots of polynomials, further differentiation and integration, matrices, proof by induction, vectors, differential equations, conic sections, Taylor series, methods in calculus, algorithms, graph theory, linear programming and critical path analysis.

Along with after school study clubs, students have the opportunity to take part in the UKMT maths challenge which is available to students in all key stages and we regularly get students progressing on to the following Kangaroo rounds.

During the last couple of years our key stage three students have taken part in a cross-curricular project, trying to save the New Quay Lifeboat in Wales. Students have enjoyed looking at the specifications and designs of different lifeboats and applying their knowledge of loci to map areas that the lifeboats can reach in a given time.

AQA | 8300 | GCSE Mathematics

AQA | 8365 | Level 2 Certificate Further Mathematics

Pearson Edexcel | 9MA0 | A Level Mathematics

Pearson Edexcel | 9FM0 | A Level Further Mathematics