Examination board: OCR
Vision
The Oxford Dictionary defines Mathematics as:
The abstract science of number, quantity, and space, either as abstract concepts (pure mathematics), or as applied to other disciplines such as physics and engineering (applied mathematics).
As Professor Marcus Du Sautoy put it: “of all the sciences, mathematics is the real challenge. People sort of understand the other sciences - what you do, what you’re studying, the things, whether it’s animals or chemicals, even little particles - but I think for me the challenge is to try and overcome people’s antagonism towards mathematics, to show them that mathematics is really part of all the other sciences - you can’t do the other sciences without mathematics. It is the language of the sciences, and built the modern world we have today.”
The aim of the Maths department at University Technical College is to help students to overcome their difficulties with Mathematics and to be able to apply their Maths skills in their daily life and work. We will build up their confidence in the subject and guide the students in applying their Mathematical skills throughout the curriculum and in the various Science challenge projects that they will do. We are also aiming at challenging talented students and Maths enthusiast through reasoning, real-world problem solving, communication, and connections.
We endeavour to support the students in their learning through Maths lessons, private studies, the Science challenge projects, and small focus groups with the use of electronic and applied resources e.g. Integral Maths online resources, MyMaths, textbooks, online textbooks, online testing …etc….to make the teaching of Mathematics match the needs and requirements of each student.
Course overview
Year 10:
Autumn term:
Indices – Fraction & Percentages - Formulae – Angle Geometry - Data Handling
Spring term:
Data Analysis - Trigonometry – Equation - Probability – Number patterns
Summer term:
Number system – Line graphs - Mensuration – Loci and Transformation
The assessment of Maths GCSE will be carried out in Year 11. Nevertheless students will be assessed internally every half term. The tests will always take place 2 weeks before the end of term in order to give time for marking and feedback and for the students to be able to work on their test during the holidays if they wish to do so. There is no coursework.
Year 12:
Mathematics:
Autumn term:
Core1 : Coordinates, points and lines, Surds, Some important graphs, Quadratics, Differentiation, Inequalities, Index Notation, Graphs of nth power functions, Polynomial, Transforming Graphs, Investigating shapes of graphs, Application of differentiation, Circles.
Statistics: Working with Data, Averages, Probability (Permutations and Combinations).
Spring term:
Core2: Trigonometry, Sequences, The binomial theorem, the sine and cosine rules, Integration, Geometric Sequences, Exponentials and Logarithms, Factor and remainders, Radians.
Statistics: Binomial distribution, Correlation and regression.
Summer term:
During the summer the students will be starting on their A2 maths course.
Assessment:
The assessment of AS maths will be done through three Assessment papers in total. One part of the assessment consists of two papers one for each Core Maths Advanced Module (One paper for Core 1, One paper for Core 2). There is also another paper to assess the applied module i.e. Statistics. The three papers are sat towards the end of spring term and beginning of the summer term. There is no coursework.
Further Maths:
During the first year students study three modules to fulfil the AS qualification, whilst being useful in other areas of the UTC curriculum. Currently these modules are FP1, D1 and S2.
In the second A2 year, there are a variety of options, depending on the backgrounds of the students involved. These must include either FP2 or FP3, and two other modules.
Autumn term:
In the first term, unit FP1 is completed together with some topics from D1:
Summation of Series, Proof by Induction, Roots of Polynomial Equations, Matrices, Complex Numbers.
Then from unit D1:
Network Algorithms: Prim; Kruskal; Dijkstra; Route Inspection; Graph Theory
Spring term:
Unit D1 is completed, and then unit S2.
General Algorithms, Sorting and packing algorithms, Linear Programming, Simplex Algorithm
S2:
Continuous Random Variables, Normal Distribution, Poisson Distribution, Sampling and Hypothesis Testing
Summer term:
Prior to the exams, any small remaining parts of the course are completed, and then a period of revision is carried out.
After the exams are completed, a selection of topics from the A2 units are studied, ready for the next year.
Changes might occur in the program in order to fit the curriculum to the need of the students as it arises.
Resources
You and your child might find the following resources useful:
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/allgcse/allgcse.htm
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resources/
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network
http://www.emaths.co.uk/
http://www.mrbartonmaths.com/
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/
http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage