Maths and Further Maths

St Paul’s Catholic School

MATHS AND FURTHER MATHS

The Mathematics Department at St. Paul’s Catholic School currently offers the AQA scheme at AS and A2 level. We will be reviewing our current syllabus in the New Year, so the syllabus may change, although most content is very similar on different examination syllabi. Currently examinations are administered by the examinations awarding body, AQA. Students will be encouraged to develop a positive attitude to Mathematics, gain confidence in the use of mathematical skills and persevere with problems. Staff will help them to read Mathematics, write and talk about the subject in a variety of ways, along with emphasising the importance of presenting solutions clearly. More information on AQA, the structure of the course and syllabi can be found on the AQA website:

Course Structure:

In year 12 students will undertake 3 modules (Core 1, Core 2 and Statistics 1) which will make up a full AS level. In year 13, students take a further 3 modules (Core 3, Core 4 and Mechanics 1) giving the 6 modules in total needed to gain an A2 level in Mathematics. In total, students study 4 Pure (Core) modules and 2 Applied (Mechanics and Statistics) modules.

CGP Revision guides will be available for students to order in years 12 and 13 through the Mathematics Department at a cost of £7.50 (per year).

is a valuable revision and interactive help website for anyone studying mathematics at AS or A2 level (as well as containing GCSE material).

Why should I study Maths?

Maths is like a really good friend. Maths will get along famously with your other mates and help you better yourself. An A level in Maths will help you immensely with your other A Level subjects. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computing, Geography, Psychology, Sociology and Business Studies all use some kind of Maths. All of the sciences use mathematical techniques and doing Maths A-level will give you a head start in these subjects. Other A-levels such as the Social Sciences use statistics, so doing A-level Maths will give you an advantage. Even in essay based subjects such as History, A level Maths can be useful. Maths teaches you to think in a logical way, something which is vital when putting across your argument.

Maths is an A Level entry requirement at University for all sorts of subjects. Geography, Psychology and Sociology degrees will definitely have modules where mathematical techniques are vital to your understanding of the subject. And all sciences such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics use so much mathematical techniques as they progress that an A Level in Maths will vastly enhance your ability to succeed.

Not only that, admissions tutors and employers all give huge amount of kudos to prospective students and employees who have a Maths A-level. Maths has a number of transferable skills including logical skills, problem solving and analytical skills.

Maths is so useful after university as well. The amount of technology we are using today is increasing all the time, and at the core of all new technology is Maths. Your earning potential is increased if you’ve done an A Level in Maths. Statistics show that if you have a Maths degree you increase your earning capacity. Some of the most interesting, high profile and well paid careers revolve around Maths somehow. Careers in finance, computing, engineering, and business are all crying out for people with maths qualifications, and mathematical medicine is an incredibly fast growing area, with mathematicians needed to model the way cancers grow or to analyse the effectiveness of various treatments. Studying A-Level Maths helps with degree subjects like Engineering and Business Studies. The Government is the single largest employer of mathematicians in the country. GCHQ recruits maths graduates every year. You might be employed to decode encrypted messages, or come up with better ways of keeping our own codes secret. Study A-Level Maths at St Paul’s and you could end up cracking codes at GCHQ. So if you’re thinking of succeeding in the world, A Level Maths is the foundation stone you need to build yourself a better career.

For Further information, please contact:

Mr. M. Smith, Head of Mathematics

COURSE STRUCTURE (AQA)

FURTHER MATHS COURSE STRUCTURE (AQA)