Further Mathematics A Level

A minimum of 4 subjects at grade 5 or above at GCSE plus English Language at grade 4 or above. You must also have a grade 6 in Maths.

Students will study the AS Further Maths specification but in general will not take the AS Further Maths exam at the end of the first year. They study three components; pure maths, mechanics and statistics.

Most students will progress to A Level Further Maths in the second year. There is also an option for second year students to take AS Further Maths.

Year One

Pure Mathematics
Topics include complex numbers, matrices, vectors, planes and sequences.

Mechanics
Topics include forces in equilibrium (including moments), friction, projectiles and Newton’s Laws of Motion.

Statistics
Topics include probability distributions such as poisson, geometric and the normal distribution.

Year Two

All students study Pure Maths, with students opting for one major option in Applied Maths.

Option 1 Major in Mechanics, minor in Statistics

Option 2 Major in Statistics, minor in Mechanics

In the exam the major option carries twice the weight of the minor option.

Pure Mathematics
The Pure Maths part of the course develops the work of the first year and deals with topics that are often found on the first year of degree courses.

Mechanics
This gives students an opportunity to explore areas of particular interest at a much higher level. For instance, those taking the Major Mechanics option will study oscillations, circular motion and the application of differential equations to mechanics problems, making it ideal for students wanting to progress to a Physics or Engineering degree.

Statistics
The Major Statistics option includes bivariate data, chi squared tests, confidence intervals and simulation.

University Entrance Exams

There will be informal support for students sitting university entrance exams such as STEP, AEA, TMUA or Oxford entrance papers.

Maths Challenge

Every year we encourage our maths students to test their maths in the National Maths Challenge.

You will typically be in College four days per week, with lesson style varying according to subject. In-College delivery is supported by online resources, and students develop strong independent learning skills to equip them for their next steps.

All AS and A Level Maths qualifications are assessed by examinations which take place each year in May and June. They vary in length according to each qualification. The two components at AS Level are 1hr 30mins each and the three components at A Level are 2hrs each.

Further Maths exams range in length from 1hr 15mins to 2hr 40mins.

You must take AS Maths (first year) or A Level Maths (second year) with Further Maths.

The Maths and Further Maths courses are taught separately in the first year and combined in the second year.

Maths and Further Maths combine well with all other A Levels. In addition to Further Maths, students study everything from Art to Science.

An A Level in Maths is helpful for many careers, especially in the areas of science, financial services, banking, accountancy and actuarial work. It is also a desirable qualification for many degrees and in some cases a necessary one, such as Physics. Further maths study will provide you with a deeper understanding of maths and give you a head start on courses requiring maths at university. Past students have been inspired to go on to read maths in its own right at top universities.