Mathematics (A Level)
Details
Qualification
A LevelExamination Board
OCRSpecification
What Do I Need To Study This Course?
GCSE Mathematics grade 6 or above.
What Will I Study?
The A Level specification develops mathematical understanding from the Mathematics GCSE (9-1) course. Students are encouraged to think, act and communicate mathematically, providing them with the skills to analyse situations in mathematics and elsewhere.
The mathematical knowledge students can gain will be broad and widely applicable, preparing them for a wide range of destinations. Content includes in-depth treatments of calculus and proof, alongside statistics and mechanics. It emphasises how mathematical ideas are interconnected and how mathematics can be applied to help make sense of data, to understand the physical world and to solve problems in a variety of contexts, including social sciences and business.
To meet the demands of the modern working world students will need access to appropriate technology within sixth form lessons and at home. Students will need a calculator that has the statistics functions required for the new A Level and are expected to be able to use their own calculator for any function it can perform as appropriate. The Casio CG50 graphical calculator is the model that we recommend and the popular choice amongst students. There will be an opportunity to purchase this calculator via ParentPay in the first half term.
How Will I Be Assessed?
Internal Assessment
As part of the Year 11 to Year 12 transition the students will complete summer homework followed by a transition test in September and then a cross-topic test approximately every half term. Students will also sit formal end-of-year Progression Tests in Year 12 and mock exams in Year 13.
External Assessment
There is no coursework assessment and all external exams are sat at the end of Year 13.
- Paper 1 (Pure Mathematics): 100 marks, 2 hour written paper, 1/3 of A Level qualification
- Paper 2 (Pure Mathematics & Statistics): 100 marks, 2 hour written paper, 1/3 of A Level qualification
- Paper 3 (Pure Mathematics & Mechanics): 100 marks, 2 hour written paper, 1/3 of A Level qualification
What Next?
The logical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills you learn while studying mathematics are highly valued by employers across many job sectors, such as:
- Acoustic consultant
- Actuarial analyst
- Actuary
- Astronomer
- CAD technician
- Chartered accountant
- Chartered certified accountant
- Civil Service fast streamer
- Data analyst
- Data scientist
- Financial manager
- Financial trader
- Game designer
- Insurance underwriter
- Investment analyst
- Machine learning engineer
- Meteorologist
- Operational researcher
- Private tutor
- Quantity surveyor
- Radiation protection practitioner
- Research scientist (maths)
- Secondary school teacher
- Software engineer
- Software tester
- Sound engineer
- Statistician
There are many university degree courses where an A Level Mathematics qualification is a requirement and many more where having the qualification is useful. See the full information via the link: https://www.mathscareers.org.uk/degree-courses-a-level-mathematics/
Suggested Reading List
(all just for fun not the course directly!)
- Fermat’s Last Theorem, Simon Singh
- The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets, Simon Singh
- The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Mathematics, from One to Infinity, Steven Strogatz
- Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, Edwin A. Abbott
- As Easy as Pi: stuff about numbers that isn’t (just) maths, Jamie Buchan
- How Many Socks Make a Pair?: Surprisingly Interesting Everyday Maths, Rob Eastaway
- Why Do Buses Come in Threes: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life, Rob Eastaway
- The Hidden Mathematics of Sport, Rob Eastaway
- 17 Equations That Changed the World, Ian Stewart
- The Mathematics of Love, Hannah Fry
- Alex’s Adventures in Numberland: Dispatches from the Wonderful World of Mathematics, Alex Bellos
- Here’s Looking at Euclid: From Counting Ants to Games of Chance – An Awe-Inspiring Journey Through the World of Numbers, Alex Bellos
- Alex Through the Looking Glass: How Life Reflects Numbers, and Numbers Reflect Life, Alex Bellos (Note: Alex Bellos has also written a super book on Brazilian football!)