Further Maths

A Level Further Maths  (Edexcel)

Please note: To study this course, you must meet the general Sixth Form entry requirements as well as the subject-specific entry requirements listed below.

View General Sixth Form Entry Requirements

Year 12

From the very start of the course, you will be introduced to areas of Mathematics you have not met at GCSE and will not study in A – Level Maths. In the first year, you will be introduced to complex numbers based on the imaginary number i, the square root of -1.

Up until this point, you will have only worked with Real numbers, so this is a massive Mathematical step. You will also meet Matrices for the first time, an incredibly powerful Mathematical tool, aiding with transformations and simultaneous equations.

You will also study formal methods of proof and use them to justify Mathematical concepts you may have previously taken for granted. Outside of Pure Mathematics, you will study Statistics and Mechanics. You have of course met Statistics at GCSE but you will develop much more sophisticated ways to analyse data and probabilities. Mechanics is very closely linked to Physics and is essential for students looking to go on to Engineering degrees. Topics studied in Mechanics include forces, motion under constant and varying acceleration as well as power and energy.

 Year 13

In Year 13 you will continue to study Pure Mathematics as well as Statistics and Mechanics. Highlights include considering indices involving complex numbers, further study of proof and laws of elasticity and springs.

You learn to prove results you are only expected to know on the A-Level Maths course.

In statistics, you will refine modelling techniques you can use to describe real-life problems and test hypotheses rigorously. You will work increasingly independently, preparing for University courses, which you can apply for in the knowledge that you have a very highly respected qualification which university admissions tutors know sets you apart from other candidates.

Assessment

Your A-Level grade is based entirely on four 1½ hour exams at the end of Year 13 covering all the content from year 12 and 13.  

Why Study?

Further Mathematics is an additional qualification to the standard A-Level Mathematics and, as such, is much more challenging. You need to be interested in the subject for its own sake and to enjoy grappling with difficult counterintuitive ideas and complex problems. You may well want to study Mathematics or a related course such as Engineering or Physics at University.

Entry Requirements

Grade 8 at GCSE Maths.  Students taking this course must also be taking A level Maths .