St Paul’s Catholic School
MATHS AND FURTHER MATHS
The Mathematics Department at St. Paul’s Catholic School currently offers the AQA scheme
at AS and A2 level. We will be reviewing our current syllabus in the New Year, so the
syllabus may change, although most content is very similar on different examination syllabi.
Currently examinations are administered by the examinations awarding body, AQA.
Students will be encouraged to develop a positive attitude to Mathematics, gain confidence
in the use of mathematical skills and persevere with problems. Staff will help them to read
Mathematics, write and talk about the subject in a variety of ways, along with emphasising
the importance of presenting solutions clearly. More information on AQA, the structure of
the course and syllabi can be found on the AQA website:
http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/mathematics/a-level/mathematics-6360
Course Structure:
In year 12 students will undertake 3 modules (Core 1, Core 2 and Statistics 1) which will make
up a full AS level. In year 13, students take a further 3 modules (Core 3, Core 4 and Mechanics
1) giving the 6 modules in total needed to gain an A2 level in Mathematics. In total, students
study 4 Pure (Core) modules and 2 Applied (Mechanics and Statistics) modules.
CGP Revision guides will be available for students to order in years 12 and 13 through the
Mathematics Department at a cost of £7.50 (per year).
www.mymaths.co.uk is a valuable revision and interactive help website for anyone studying
mathematics at AS or A2 level (as well as containing GCSE material).
Why should I study Maths?
Maths is like a really good friend. Maths will get along famously with your other mates and
help you better yourself. An A level in Maths will help you immensely with your other A Level
subjects. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computing, Geography, Psychology, Sociology and
Business Studies all use some kind of Maths. All of the sciences use mathematical techniques
and doing Maths A-level will give you a head start in these subjects. Other A-levels such as
the Social Sciences use statistics, so doing A-level Maths will give you an advantage. Even in
essay based subjects such as History, A level Maths can be useful. Maths teaches you to think
in a logical way, something which is vital when putting across your argument.
Maths is an A Level entry requirement at University for all sorts of subjects. Geography,
Psychology and Sociology degrees will definitely have modules where mathematical
techniques are vital to your understanding of the subject. And all sciences such as Biology,
Chemistry and Physics use so much mathematical techniques as they progress that an A Level
in Maths will vastly enhance your ability to succeed.
Not only that, admissions tutors and employers all give huge amount of kudos to prospective
students and employees who have a Maths A-level. Maths has a number of transferable skills
including logical skills, problem solving and analytical skills.
Maths is so useful after university as well. The amount of technology we are using today is
increasing all the time, and at the core of all new technology is Maths. Your earning potential
is increased if you’ve done an A Level in Maths. Statistics show that if you have a Maths
degree you increase your earning capacity. Some of the most interesting, high profile and
well paid careers revolve around Maths somehow. Careers in finance, computing,
engineering, and business are all crying out for people with maths qualifications, and
mathematical medicine is an incredibly fast growing area, with mathematicians needed to
model the way cancers grow or to analyse the effectiveness of various treatments. Studying
A-Level Maths helps with degree subjects like Engineering and Business Studies. The
Government is the single largest employer of mathematicians in the country. GCHQ recruits
maths graduates every year. You might be employed to decode encrypted messages, or
come up with better ways of keeping our own codes secret. Study A-Level Maths at St Paul’s
and you could end up cracking codes at GCHQ. So if you’re thinking of succeeding in the
world, A Level Maths is the foundation stone you need to build yourself a better career.
For Further information, please contact:
Mr. M. Smith, Head of Mathematics
COURSE STRUCTURE (AQA)
Year 12 topics studied
Year 13 topics studied
Core 1
Core 3
 Algebra—Quadratics, Indices, Surds,
Simultaneous equations, inequalities
 Polynomials
 Algebra and Functions
 Further Trigonometry
 Techniques for differentiation
 Co-ordinate geometry
 Calculus: Differentiation
 Calculus: Integration
 Techniques for integration
 Numerical solution of equations
 Numerical Integration
Core 2
 Algebra and Functions
 Sequences and series
 Trigonometry & circular measure
 Logarithms and exponentials
 Further Calculus
Core 4
 Partial fractions
 Parametric equations
 Further Binomial Expansions
 Further calculus techniques
 Further Trigonometry
Statistics 1
 Data presentation, measures of centrality and
spread
 Probability theory
 Permutations & combinations
 Binomial Distribution
 Normal Distribution
 Estimation
 Correlation & Regression
 Vectors
 Differential equations
Mechanics 1
 Kinematics and Motion
 Modelling using constant acceleration
 Statics and Forces
 Momentum
 Newton’s Laws of motion
 Connected particles
 Projectiles
 General motion
FURTHER MATHS COURSE STRUCTURE (AQA)
Year 12 topics studied
Year 13 topics studied
Further Pure 1
Further Pure 2
 Algebra and Graphs
 Roots of Polynomials
 Complex numbers
 Further Complex numbers
 Roots of Quadratics
 DeMoivre’s theorem
 Series
 Proof by Induction
 Calculus
 Finite Series
 Numerical Methods
 Calculus of Inverse trig functions
 Trigonometry
 Hyperbolic Functions
 Matrices and Transformations
 Revolution about x-axis
Statistics 2
 Discrete Random Variables
 The Poisson distribution
 Continuous Random Variables
 Estimation
Further Pure 3
 Series and Limits
 Polar co-ordinates & graphs
 First order differential equations
 Second order differential equations
 Hypothesis testing
 Contingency tables & Chi squared test
Decision Mathematics 1
 Algorithms
 Graphs and Networks
 Spanning Tree Problems
 Matchings
 Critical Path Analysis
 Linear programming
 Mathematical Modelling
Mechanics 2
 Mathematical modelling
 Moments and centre of mass
 Kinematics
 Newton’s laws for variable acceleration
 Application of differential equations
 Circular motion (uniform and vertical)
 Work and Energy