Maths

Mathematics is the only area of study that is a science, an art and worth studying solely for its own sake. It is the intent of our mathematics curriculum at Farlingaye to firstly highlight the beauty, creativity and interconnections inherent in the subject and thereby enrich the learning experiences of all our students. Our second intent is for all students, irrespective of background or prior attainment, to be successful in mathematics.

Key Stage 3

In Key Stage 3 you will discover the joy of mathematics!

You will cover the main areas of maths as given in the national curriculum by studying some big themes in mathematics.

You will build upon the ideas met in Key Stage 2 and learn new skills that will prepare you for your GCSE and even beyond. For example, in Year 7, when studying Iteration you will meet such ideas as complex numbers and cobweb diagrams. You will discover Chaos and the beauty of fractals and study the Collatz Conjecture.

When studying the Golden Ratio you will discover the ideal human proportions and find out just how perfect you are! Find out how the number of petals a flower has is related to the architecture of some famous buildings. You will learn how a pentagon is linked to a quadratic equation and why the Golden Ratio has fascinated mathematicians throughout history. When learning about Graph Theory you will learn about the Travelling Salesman, the Chinese Postman and how to colour a map!

ICT will play a large part in your study of the big ideas of mathematics. In the fourth theme studied in Year 7, you will investigate Tiling of the Plane and learn how to use Geometers Sketchpad to create tilings such as those found in the Alhambra.

In Year 8 you will study another four big ideas of Mathematics: Game Theory, Topology, Conic Sections and Number Theory. You will learn about the music of the primes and the link between Sudoku and Latin Squares.

Throughout Key Stage 3 there are a variety of trips, competitions, clubs and workshops for you to take advantage of. The course will enable you to confidently investigate mathematical ideas using your understanding, experiences, imagination and reasoning. The course is designed to give you an appreciation of the subject that will prepare you for Key Stage 4.

By the end of Key Stage 3 you will have discovered the joy of Maths; what does this mean?

For more information regarding KS3 contact Mrs Spearpoint.

Key Stage 4

In Key Stage 4 we continue to with our intent to highlight the creativity inherent in the subject whilst preparing you to be successful in your GCSE examinations.

GCSE Mathematics will help prepare you for an increasingly technological age; many occupations require you to have a good qualification in this subject. Study of GCSE Mathematics will help improve your problem solving abilities as well as equipping you with skills that are essential for life.

Key Stage 4 is a three year course during which you will study for the OCR GCSE qualification in Mathematics. The course covers the areas of Number, Algebra, Geometry and Statistics with ratio and proportion underpinning and driving the order you will meet topics. Lesson activities are designed to enhance your problem solving skills. The opportunity to complete rich, challenging tasks will encourage you to think more widely about each topic studied and appreciate mathematics as a means of understanding the world around us.

Throughout Key Stage 4 there are a variety of trips, competitions, clubs and workshops for you to take advantage of. The OCR Mathematics GCSE examination is sat at the end of Year 11.

For more information regarding KS4 contact Mr Trett.

Key Stage 5

Study mathematics in Key Stage 5 and gain an even deeper understanding of the world around us.

As part of your A-level in Mathematics you will study pure mathematics, mechanics and statistics. Pure mathematics includes proof, algebra, graphs, sequences, trigonometry, logarithms, calculus and vectors. Mechanics includes kinematics, motion under gravity, working with forces including friction, Newton’s laws and simple moments and is great fun. Statistics includes working with data, probability calculations, using binomial and Normal distributions as models and statistical hypothesis testing and some people enjoy it.At A Level you will follow the OCR H240 Mathematics specification.

If Maths is your favourite subject, then you should study Further Maths as well as A-level Maths. Additional reasons for taking Further Maths may be found here, however note that if A-level maths helps you understand the world around us just think what Further Maths will do! You will follow the OCR H245 Further Maths specification.

Core Maths is a Level 3 qualification for any student who wants to develop their mathematical problem solving skills. Core Maths is about students doing meaningful mathematical problems. For instance, you will discover how many flushes of a toilet would fill an Olympic swimming pool as well as becoming statistically literate. Studying Core Maths will increase your confidence in using mathematics to be better equipped for the mathematical demands of other your courses, higher education and employment. Additional reasons for studying Core Maths may be found here.

Throughout Key Stage 5 there are a variety of trips, competitions, clubs and workshops for you to take advantage of. Continue the journey you began in Year 7 by studying Mathematics post-16 and you will greater appreciate mathematics as a mass of interconnected ideas of vast range, depth and beauty.

For more information regarding KS5 contact Mr Gemmell.

Farlingaye High School

Maths

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Key Stage 5

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