Mathematics

Course summary

A Level Mathematics builds on and extends GCSE knowledge and skills and introduces new ideas, such as calculus and its applications. It emphasises how mathematical ideas are interconnected and how these ideas can be applied to model situations mathematically. There is a strong emphasis on logical reasoning and problem-solving and you will learn to use your mathematical skills and techniques to solve challenging problems. The course will be split into pure and applied mathematics and all content is compulsory. In A Level there is an emphasis on pure mathematics; topics such as proof, algebra, trigonometry, series, logarithms and calculus account for approximately two thirds of the course. The Applied section will assess knowledge of both statistics and mechanics. In statistics you will study topics such as handling and interpreting large sets of data, probability, distributions and hypothesis testing. In mechanics, which is closely linked to physics, you will also study forces and moments.