Mathematics

Course summary

In the Maths Department, we aim to provide girls with a solid grounding in basic mathematical skills; to help them make sense of mathematical patterns and rules; to be able to communicate using mathematical language; to build and develop their problem-solving skills and foster in them an enjoyment of Mathematics and an appreciation of its useful and beauty in the world. Studying Mathematics helps to develop skills of analysis, logical argument, problem-solving, mathematical modelling and communication and it is also very enjoyable for its own sake. Students learn by doing and they develop a determination not to be beaten by a problem. We strive to give students the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve academic excellence but also the enthusiasm to take their learning further. Pure Mathematics is a continuation and extension of the GCSE topics of algebra, trigonometry, graphs, calculus and vectors and includes new topics such as exponentials and logarithms. Mechanics applies mathematical ideas to practical problems involving force and motion. Topics include kinematics, Newton’s Laws and moments. Statistics builds on GCSE knowledge of probability. Students encounter a variety of statistical distributions and learn how to carry out hypothesis testing and how to interpret and test data. This part of the course also involves interrogating a “Big Data Set” and being able to answer questions about the (real) data. Studying some statistics is recommended for subjects such as Biology, Geography, Economics, Psychology and the Humanities and studying some mechanics is recommended for Physics students. However, all students studying A-level Mathematics now cover the same core content (irrespective of the Examination Board) and all students studying Mathematics will study both statistics and mechanics as part of the course.