A Level Course Listing
Mathematics is essential for a wide range of students, from those intending to read the subject at university to those needing particular techniques to support other courses or their chosen careers. Many areas of science, engineering, computing, medicine, economics, business, psychology and other disciplines require an understanding of mathematics beyond GCSE level.
There is a national shortage of mathematically trained people and a qualification at advanced level dramatically increases a person’s employment and earning potential.
Mathematics provides intellectual training, nurturing powers of analysis, logic, organisation and problem solving. Some are attracted by its sheer power, some by the elegance of its methods, and some by the satisfaction they feel when they complete a clever solution or master a tricky procedure.
Work for A Level Mathematics involves studying mainly pure mathematics, with applied units in statistics and mechanics. Work for Further Mathematics involves a much wider and deeper appreciation of the subject and should be considered by anyone interested in Mathematics.
Examination results in Mathematics are very good at Bishop’s Stortford College with 100% pass rates at A Level, and an average of 68% grade A*–A over the last five years.
There are nine experienced teachers in the department, who all use a variety of approaches to teaching mathematics. There is no assessed coursework on the new specification, but investigational skills are developed through the teaching approaches.
Students completing the two-year courses in Mathematics and Further Mathematics achieve two complete A Levels.
Examination board: EDEXCEL 9MA0 (Mathematics) 9FM0 (Further Mathematics)
A Level Mathematics at least a grade 7 is required in Mathematics GCSE.
Further Maths at least a grade 8 is required in Mathematics GCSE.
Content is in four areas:
i. Mathematical Process consists of mathematical argument and language, problem solving and mathematical modelling
ii. Pure Mathematics includes proof, algebra, graphs, sequences, trigonometry, logarithms, calculus and vectors
iii. Mechanics includes kinematics, motion under gravity, working with forces including friction, Newton’s laws and moments
iv. Statistics includes working with data from a sample to make inferences about a population, probability calculations, using binomial and normal distributions as models and statistical hypothesis testing; a large data set will be released at the beginning of the course so that students can use spreadsheets or other statistical software to become familiar with it
Students’ calculators are expected to include an iterative function, such as an ANS key and the ability to compute summary statistics and access probabilities from the binomial and Normal functions.
Assessment is by three, two hour exams which are equally weighted, at the end of the two year course:
Pure Mathematics worth 100 marks.
Statistics and Mechanics worth 100 marks.
v. Core Pure
vi. Mechanics
vii. Statistics
viii. Further Pure
There are six possible routes to achieve the qualification. Candidates take the mandatory Core Pure 1 and 2, then two of the following (two from option 1 or a matching pair from option 1 and 2)
Option 1:
Further Pure 1, Further Statistics 1, and Further Mechanics 1.
Option 2:
Further Pure 2, Further Statistics 2, and Further Mechanics 2.
In addition to the features mentioned above, students’ calculators should have the ability to perform calculations with matrices up to at least order 3×3 and to access probabilities from any standard statistical distribution.
Assessment is by four exams at the end of the two year course:
The mandatory Core pure paper 1, 75 marks lasting 1 ½ hours, worth 25% of the total A Level.
The mandatory Core pure paper 2, 75 marks lasting 1 ½ hours, worth 25% of the total A Level.
Each option paper is 75 marks lasting 1 ½ hours and worth 25% of the total A Level.