Further Maths
Mathematics is the tool we use to fully understand the world around us. From the movement of a football through the air, to the trends in financial marketsMathematics is often, incorrectly, seen as purely the means to get an answer to a sum, or a procedure to follow. In fact, Mathematics is much richer than that. As Dean Schlicter said, “Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics.”
There is a shortage of British Mathematics graduates (www.moremathsgrads.org.uk) and Further Mathematics A-level is excellent preparation for studying mathematics at university as well as being a facilitating subject for the Russell group universities. This course is also considered to be essential if you apply for a degree in science, engineering, economics or technology-related degrees at some universities.
You will develop highly transferable skills in how to solve problems and how to think logically. Alongside, this you will gain deep reasoning skills, resilience, the ability to be reflective in your own practice, the ability to communicate complex ideas and how to work under your own initiative.
We use mathematics to:
- Explain what is happening
- Model a situation
- Predict what may happen in the future
- Communicate with others
- Generalise to other scenarios
Consequently students with advanced mathematical skills are in very high demand for careers including Engineering, Science, Design, Medicine, Finance, Business, Accounting, Management, Computing, Law and Social Science.
So if you achieve a grade 8 or 9 at GCSE Mathematics and want to know the fundamental language of the universe giving yourself a boost in your future career, then studying A Level Further Mathematics is for you.
What will you gain from studying Further Mathematics?
Mathematics is often, incorrectly, seen as purely the means to get an answer to a sum, or a procedure to follow. In fact, Mathematics is much richer than that. As Dean Schlicter said, “Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics.”
There is a shortage of British Mathematics graduates (www.moremathsgrads.org.uk) and Further Mathematics A-level is excellent preparation for studying mathematics at university as well as being a facilitating subject for the Russell group universities. This course is also considered to be essential if you apply for a degree in science, engineering, economics or technology-related degrees at some universities.
You will develop highly transferable skills in how to solve problems and how to think logically. Alongside, this you will gain deep reasoning skills, resilience, the ability to be reflective in your own practice, the ability to communicate complex ideas and how to work under your own initiative.
A Level Mathematics
The A Level exam board we use is AQA, and all content will be examined as a linear exam at the end of year 13.
The government is consulting on changes to the A Level curriculum and details are yet to be published. However, in addition to the A level Mathematics content, areas of study will include:
- Matrices
- Complex Numbers
- Proof
- Polar Coordinates
- Hyperbolic Functions
- Differential Equations
What can I do to prepare for A Level study?
Here are some items to read, watch and investigate before you start your A Level in Mathematics. There is a massive amount of content on the web, so you will need to be selective.
Specific to A Level Further Mathematics
- http://www.furthermaths.org.uk/choose_fm
More information about whether Further Mathematics is the right course for you. - http://www.numberphile.com/
Numberphile is a collection of fun, short videos about different numbers. - https://plus.maths.org/content/
An online maths magazine from Cambridge University. - http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage
A massive collection of problems and puzzles, helping you to “think mathematically”.
"The universe cannot be read until we have learned the language and become familiar with the characters in which it is written. It is written in mathematical language…"
– Galileo Galilei