A-Level
Careers related to studying Mathematics:
If you choose to study Mathematics, you will develop your problem solving skills as well as your ability to think logically. You will develop a high level of quantitative and numerical skills as well as statistical knowledge.
Mathematicians are typically strategic and their skills are valued by employers making them highly employable. As a result, Mathematicians can be found in all sorts of careers and jobs.
You could consider the following careers:
Finance (accountancy, banking, insurance, tax, actuary, pensions, risk management), a teacher or lecturer, operational researcher, computing, research scientist (Maths), a statistician, an engineer and other graduate jobs.
Course content:
A Level Mathematics covers topics from Pure Maths (66.6%), Statistics (16.6%) and Mechanics (16.6%).
In Pure Maths, you further develop your algebra skills, coordinate geometry work, knowledge of trigonometry, vectors, and sequences and series, as well as being introduced to exponentials and logarithms and also to Calculus; differentiation and integration and their applications.
Studying Further Mathematics covers all the content of A Level Mathematics but covers topics in extra depth to make up a second A Level grade. If you choose to do Further Maths A Level, you will study all of the Maths A Level content in Year 12 and do your A Level Maths exams in summer 2018. You will then complete the Further Maths A Level in Year 13, doing the Further Maths exams in summer 2019.
Entry requirements:
Mathematics is a sequential subject, with a progression of material and you will build on the knowledge you gained at GCSE.
Therefore, you must have achieved at least a grade 6 in Mathematics at GCSE to study A Level Mathematics and at least a grade 7 if you want to study Further Mathematics.
Subject specific events:
You will be encouraged to enter Maths Challenges and supported if you want to gain teaching experience by helping in lower school Maths lessons. Past students have also attended masterclasses at the University of Liverpool which is something we recommend to enrich your knowledge.
Methods of study:
There are five lessons per week which are divided between two subject specialists. Teaching groups tend to be between eight and twenty in number and are significantly smaller for further Maths.
Much of your work will be produced independently, although there will be some small group work within lessons. You should expect to complete approximately 5 hours of independent study outside of your lessons per week. This will mainly be completing further questions from the exercises, making revision notes from lessons and completing past exam questions.
Methods of assessment:
There is no coursework or controlled assessment for A Level Mathematics.
Although you will complete internal assessments throughout the two years alongside homework tasks, your final A Level grade will be determined solely via external exams taken at the end of the course.