SHHS Sixth Form Prospectus - South Hampstead High School

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Mathematics
Why study Mathematics
solve equations which are more complex than quadratics, how statistics can
win an argument, or what happens to vehicles in a collision What about the
number of staff needed to answer the phones in a call centre Or even, how
to shoot a monkey out of a tree Any of these questions, and many more, can
be answered by studying Mathematics at A Level.
Mathematics is recognised as one of the most respected and challenging
A Levels, and, for this reason, is highly rated by a wide variety of university
courses and employers. Mathematics A Level can lead to university courses
in mathematics, sciences, medicine, engineering, psychology, economics,
archaeology and careers in almost anything.
If you are someone who wants to study Mathematics for its own beauty, as well
as its uses, then you should also consider Further Mathematics. Here you can
explore the mysteries of hyperbolic functions, complex numbers (made using
square roots of negative numbers), what keeps a roller coaster on the track
in a loop-the-loop and how to structure a formal proof.
What will you study
All students take the same core mathematics modules and choose between
statistics or mechanics for their applied section.
AS
Core mathematics: calculus, trigonometry, factor and remainder theorems, graph
sketching, logarithms and exponentials, numerical methods, binomial expansion,
and indices.
formal correlation, conditional probability and the Normal distribution.
Statistics: Binomial and Poisson distributions, uniform distribution and
hypothesis testing.
Mechanics: Projectiles, centre of mass, collisions, displacement, forces
and moments.
Further Mathematics (AS and A2)
Further mathematicians cover all of the material above, including both statistics
and the mechanics elements and, in addition, further pure mathematics and one
module of extended applied, chosen by the group.
Further Pure: matrices, complex numbers, differential equations, Maclaurin and
Taylor expansions, hyperbolic functions, polar co-ordinates, further calculus,
inequalities.
How will you study
Mathematics is a challenging course. Lessons include discussion and examples,
order to succeed. Assessment is by modular examination, with three modules
to each part of the course.
What do you need to begin the course
Exam board: Edexcel, www.edexcel.com
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Mechanics: vectors, resolving forces, Newton’s laws of motion, conservation
of momentum, equation of motion, friction and simple projectiles.
A2
Core mathematics: trigonometric identities, solving equations, inverse functions,
vectors, extended calculus, areas and volumes of shapes formed from functions,
further binomial expansions, partial fractions, parametric equations and implicit
differentiation.
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