What is this course about?

The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable students to:

• Understand mathematics and mathematical processes in a way that promotes confidence, fosters enjoyment and provides a strong foundation for progress to further study 
• Extend their range of mathematical skills and techniques
• Understand coherence and progression in mathematics and how different areas of mathematics are connected
• Apply mathematics in other fields of study and be aware of the relevance of mathematics to the world of work and to situations in society in general
• Use their mathematical knowledge to make logical and reasoned decisions in solving problems both within pure mathematics and in a variety of contexts, and communicate the mathematical rationale for these decisions clearly
• Reason logically and recognise incorrect reasoning
• Generalise mathematically
• Construct mathematical proofs
• Use their mathematical skills and techniques to solve challenging problems that require them to decide on the solution strategy
• Recognise when mathematics can be used to analyse and solve a problem in context
• Represent situations mathematically and understand the relationship between problems in context and mathematical models that may be applied to solve them
• Draw diagrams and sketch graphs to help explore mathematical situations and interpret solutions
• Make deductions and inferences and draw conclusions by using mathematical reasoning
• Interpret solutions and communicate their interpretation effectively in the context of the problem
• Read and comprehend mathematical arguments, including justifications of methods and formulae, and communicate their understanding
• Read and comprehend articles concerning applications of mathematics and communicate their understanding
• Use technology such as calculators and computers effectively and recognise when their use may be inappropriate
• Take increasing responsibility for their own learning and the evaluation of their own mathematical development.

What content is on the course?

The A Level Mathematics (Edexcel) content is taught in 3 units:

• Unit 1: Pure Mathematics 1 – Proof, Functions, Coordinate Geometry, Sequences, Trigonometry, Logarithms, Differentiation, Integration, Vectors.
• Unit 2: Pure Mathematics 2 – Proof, Functions, Coordinate Geometry, Sequences and Series, Trigonometry, Differentiation, Integration, Numerical Methods.
• Unit 3: Statistics and Mechanics – Statistical Sampling, Data Interpretation, Probability, Distributions, Hypothesis Testing Quantities and Units, Kinematics, Forces and Newton’s Laws, Moment.

Course Assessment

The assessment framework for mathematics consists of three examined papers, all of which carry 100 marks. These examinations are 2-hour papers and are worth 1/3 of the final qualification.  There is no coursework for A Level Mathematics.