Maths
Why take Maths A level?
Maths is one of the most desirable and challenging A levels. The skills that the course requires and develops in both numeracy and problem solving are always highly desirable by employers both in industry and further educational institutes.
Maths A level is an excellent gateway qualification leading into a range of sectors such as finance, business, ICT, economics, psychology and engineering. It is a mark of academic distinction and highly respected in further education.
In a 2016 study by Nottingham University it was also found that “students that had successfully studied A level Maths received an average of an 11% increase in salary by the time they reached 34. No other A level attracted such a sustained and steady wage premium.”
Maths A level continues and develops concepts begun at GCSE and starts to really allow students to appreciate their importance and application in understanding the world around us, offering students the keys to the Universe.
Requirements for the Course
To study A level Maths it is crucial that the student has studied towards the higher paper at GCSE.
It is preferable for the student to have achieved at least a grade 7.
The Course
The A level Maths course covers three main areas:
Pure Maths:
In Year 12 Pure Maths develops a lot of the topics covered in the final stages of the GCSE, but in more depth. We look at a lot of the higher algebra techniques, circles, quadratic graphs and trigonometry in more detail. This allows a more general understanding of why these topics offer so much understanding of the world around us and how they can be applied to problems in a range of contexts. We also begin to look at Calculus (differentiation and integration) and why this has become such a fundamental part of how we understand so much about our world and its inner workings since its discovery by Newton and Leibniz in the 17th century. We also introduce exponentials and logarithms and investigate their application to subjects such as population growth and radioactive decay.
Statistics:
Statistics is the study of data and probability. It is one of the most widely used part of Maths in the real world and understanding its intricacies is an interesting and important skill sought after by employers. We start by again recapping a lot of the work done towards the end of the GCSE and develop more depth to students understanding of topics such as averages, charts & diagrams, bivariate data and probability. We also start to look at statistical modelling and hypothesis testing.
Mechanics:
Mechanics is the study of motion. Why do things move the way they do, and can we predict their movement if we know certain things about them? It is the precursor to Rocket Science! “Rocket Science is just Newtonian mechanics with variable mass.” It builds on some of the ideas started in GCSE Maths such as speed distance and time, however it is the newest part of the syllabus. Students always love mechanics as it is the study of the real world. A lot of the ideas and models introduced are common sense once explained and their applications are everywhere around us.
In Year 13 a lot of the topics covered in Year 12 are built upon, developed and linked together. This allows students to broaden their understanding of Mathematics and truly start to appreciate it as a web of concepts, all interwoven and affecting each other in myriad ways and not just a list of separate skills done one after the other.
Exams:
The AQA A level has 3 exams, all 2 hours long and each worth 100 marks. Paper 1 is all pure topics, paper 2 is mechanics and pure and paper 3 is statistics and pure.
If you are genuinely interested in a degree and career in mathematics, engineering or physics, it is worth considering choosing A-level Further Maths. Information about this A-level can be obtained from the maths department.
