Core Maths

Core Maths allows you to study meaningful mathematical problems to increase your confidence in using mathematics to be better equipped for the mathematical demands of other courses, higher education, employment and life. According to the Higher Education STEM project, many students arrive at university with unrealistic expectations of the mathematical and statistical demands of their subjects, leading to a lack of confidence and anxiety by the students hence the importance of Core Maths. The course has been designed to maintain and develop real-life mathematical skills. What you study is not purely theoretical or abstract; it can be applied on a day-to-day basis, whether in work, study or life. Core Maths includes a financial mathematics element and can help with other A level subjects, including science, geography, business studies, economics and psychology. Most students who study mathematics after GCSE improve their career choices and increase their earning potential. Many roles in the workplace require high levels of budget management and problem-solving skills and Core Maths will be a useful tool in equipping you with these skills.

Core Maths lessons can be quite different to other maths lessons. You’ll meet some new topics, but you’ll mostly be using maths from GCSE. Where it differs is its focus on becoming skilful at applying maths to real-life situations such as personal finance, estimating, and making the best use of resources. You may spend more time discussing problems and explaining your thinking. Sometimes there’s no single ‘right’ answer. You’ll also learn about working with data - when it’s reasonable to make assumptions and simplifications, how to analyse data and interpret the results, and how to communicate your findings and use them to justify your argument. These skills will be useful in other subjects and will also help you to question and criticise statements based on data, such as surprising claims made by the media. These are all useful skills for your future, whatever direction you go in.

In the Summer of Y13 you will sit two 1 hour 30 mins, 60 mark papers, each equally weighted to form your final A-E grade.

You will receive a formula sheet, pre-release material for both papers and a statistical tables for paper 2A. You can use a scientific calculator or graphics calculator.

Paper 1 will cover questions from the content described above using data given in the questions or from the preliminary material, Fermi estimation requiring your assumptions to be clearly stated.

Paper 2 will draw on the mathematical content from paper 1 and you will be expected to develop and demonstrate confidence and competence in the understanding and application of mathematical modelling in the solution of problems related to either

the use of statistical techniques,

decision making and the planning of projects,

simple polynomial and exponential functions.

Five GCSEs grade 4 or above. This can only be taken as a 4th subject.