Sigma Sixth Tendring Course Guide

A LEVEL FURTHERMATHEMATICS “Mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas” Einstein Further mathematics will delve deep into the fundamentals of maths, the mystery of imaginary numbers, the rigor of proof by induction, the elegance of matrix multiplication and transformations. Youwill be broadening your repertoire of skills and understanding by studying new topics, augmenting and honing all the skills you have learned in A Level maths. Whilst the topics in A Level further maths are different to the topics you study in A Level maths, there is a crossover between the two, and so students who elect to take this course often do well in A Level maths since they are getting so much practice in core mathematical skills. The demands of A Level further maths are high, but if you have an aptitude and love for maths then it should be a real consideration for you. Also, if you wish to study a technical course at university then A Level further maths is a must. It is shown in surveys every year that mathematics is the skill employers look for more than any other, and those who possess strong qualifications in maths often go on to achieve salaries far in excess of the national average. CURRICULUM STATEMENT • We follow the Edexcel course which is 100% examination at the end of year 13. Two thirds of marks are available for pure topics, and one third for applied topics. • The applied units we study are ‘mechanics’ and ‘decision’. Mechanics will build on your understanding from A Level maths, whilst ‘decision’ will be a new topic. • In ‘decision’ you will study algorithms and how to apply them to problems. COURSE CONTENT Students need to have achieved a minimum of 6 grades 5-9 incl. English and maths. Students also need to study A Level maths and have obtained a minimum of a grade 7 at GCSE. ENTRY CRITERIA