Mathematics

Course summary

The small class sizes enable students to learn in a supportive environment in which lessons can be tailored to the individual, allowing teachers to address any problems as they arise and to extend and challenge the more able pupils. The course is delivered by a team of highly experienced teachers, all of whom have both a STEM subject degree and a teaching qualification. All are enthusiastic mathematicians and educators, willing to run extra sessions to help pupils, whether it be with their A Level studies, or their preparation for additional examinations, such as STEP or MAT or PAT, which are required by Oxbridge and other top- ranking universities. In the past few years, the Mathematics department has run a number of highly successful trips; for example, we visited Florence to study the mathematical ideas of the Renaissance. In A Level Mathematics, you develop the algebraic and numerical methods begun at GCSE and extend your understanding in the fields of trigonometry, coordinate geometry, vectors, sequences and series. You are introduced to the wonders of calculus and the many applications of exponentials and logarithms and develop your ability to prove mathematical statements. You will build on your statistical skills to appreciate different forms of sampling and how best to represent and interpret distributions. You will learn how to test hypotheses and develop your understanding of probability. In Mechanics, you will explore the field of kinematics and learn how to work with forces, moments and Newton’s Laws of Motion. You will apply skills within a context, requiring you to analyse the problem, translate it into a mathematical form, apply mathematical techniques to reach a solution, and interpret this in a manner appropriate to the situation. You will need to be able to evaluate your methods.