Further Mathematics

Students taking Further Mathematics overwhelmingly find it to be an enjoyable, rewarding, stimulating and empowering experience. It is a challenging qualification, which both extends and deepens your knowledge and understanding beyond ‘single’ A Level Mathematics. Students who study it often say it is their favourite subject.

For someone who enjoys mathematics, it provides a challenge and a chance to explore new and/or more sophisticated mathematical concepts. As well as learning new areas of Pure Mathematics, students will study more statistics and mechanics.

Students who take Further Mathematics find that the additional time spent studying mathematics boosts their marks in ‘single’ A Level Mathematics. Studying Further Mathematics consolidates and reinforces A Level Mathematics work, encouraging the best possible grades.

Its study makes the transition from Sixth Form to university courses which are mathematically rich that much easier as more of the first year course content will be familiar. Students planning to take a degree such as Engineering, Sciences, Computing, Finance/ Economics, etc, or perhaps Mathematics itself, are advised to study Further Mathematics as it introduces new topics, such as matrices and complex numbers, that are vital in many STEM degrees. Students who have studied Further Mathematics find the transition to such degrees far more straightforward.

Course content and assessment

Students will follow the linear Edexcel Further Mathematics 9FM0 specification. They must study ‘single’ Mathematics, which is co-taught alongside the Further Mathematics course. The content will be 50% prescribed and 50% optional. The prescribed section of the new specification will focus on further study of Pure Mathematics and the optional content will feature two choices from the following areas: Pure Mathematics, Mechanics, Statistics or Discrete Mathematics. The assessment will feature a minimum of four papers at the end of Upper Sixth with the first two focusing on the compulsory Pure Mathematics content, and the third and fourth (and any extras) testing the optional topics.

Additional features

It is highly unusual for schools to have more than one class of Further Mathematics in each year group: at Clifton we have two. This gives us tremendous flexibility in tailoring our provision for students with varying abilities and requirements.

It is also rare for departments to have a majority of Mathematics teachers who are able to teach the relevant modules as we do at Clifton. The popularity of the subject at Clifton is in part due to the consistent success that the students achieve in their results.

Facilities

The Mathematics Department has several well-equipped classrooms as well as the recently added Bradley Room, which contains a well-stocked library and provides an ideal venue for seminars and meetings.

Entry Requirements

Ideally a grade 9 at GCSE. Entry is also subject to assessment by the Head of Mathematics.

Course Offered

A Level Edexcel Further Mathematics