Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Core Maths

Whatever maths means to you, the breadth of applications is immense. Maths underpins most of science, technology and engineering and is also important in areas as diverse as business, law, nutrition, sports science and psychology. There are many opportunities to use maths to make a difference in society, for example through the analysis involved in medical research, developing new technology, modelling epidemics or in the study of patterns of criminal activity to identify trends.

A level Further Mathematics is a second A level in maths, designed to broaden and deepen the maths covered in A level Mathematics. It is taken alongside A level Mathematics.

Core Maths develops the skills you need to apply maths to the kinds of real-life problems you’ll meet in study, work and life. If your courses contain some Maths e.g. Biology, Geography, Psychology, PE, DT then this will help you. Many universities will give you a lower offer if you already have a grade B or above in Core Maths. This course is only studied for one year with the exam at the end of the Lower Sixth and is equivalent to an AS.

The skills developed through the study of maths are in high demand from employers and universities. In addition to developing the ability to solve problems and think logically, the study of maths provides opportunities to develop team-working skills, resilience, effective communication of complex ideas and the ability to use your own initiative.

A level Mathematics is the most popular A level subject. It involves studying • pure maths – use of algebra, graphical techniques and calculus • statistics - including analysis of data, interpretation of graphs such as scatter diagrams, and new topics including the Normal distribution and hypothesis testing • mechanics– studying the motion of objects by considering forces, using ‘suvat’ equations and interpreting graphs representing motion

In Further Maths you cover more topics in Pure Maths and will also study a selection of elements from Pure Maths, Statistics, Mechanics or Decision Maths.

The Core Maths course includes new content such as statistics which includes the Normal Distribution, financial maths and using algebra. You will learn to analyse data to make decisions and use spreadsheets and percentages in real-life contexts. Core Maths helps with the maths needed for a broad range of other subjects.