Venus orbits the Sun 13 times for every 8 Earth orbits. If you track the relative positions of the Earth and Venus over an 8 year period, this is the resulting pattern:

Mathematics is the only area of study that is a science, an art and worth studying solely for its own sake.

Throughout your time at Farlingaye there are six strands that will provide a consistency and shape to your experiences in Mathematics. The strands are:

•  literacy

•  conceptual understanding

•  fluency

•  problem solving

•  cultural capital

•  appreciation of the imagination, creativity and beauty of mathematics 

In Year 7 you will build upon the ideas met in Key Stage 2 and learn new skills that will prepare you for your time at Farlingaye and even beyond. For example, you will study cobweb diagrams, discover chaos and wonder at the beauty of fractals. You will spend much of the first term studying geometry for, as Plato tells us, “…anyone who has studied geometry is infinitely quicker to grasp difficult subjects than one who has not.”

Literacy supports learning. Literacy is empowering.

Mathematical proficiency is improved when students have the opportunity to read, write, and discuss ideas and consequently become increasingly literate.

In your year 7 mathematics lessons you will read a variety of fiction including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - a surreal tale that subtly weaves in mathematical concepts as Alice navigates a world where reason and nonsense intertwine.

In Year 8 you build upon the ideas met in year 7. For example, you will learn about the nature of infinity, discover perfect numbers and investigate the centres of a triangle. You will read the Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger - a novel that follows a young boy named Robert as he explores the wonders of mathematics through twelve dreamlike encounters with a Number Devil called Teplotaxl.

"Words and numbers are of equal value, for, in the cloak of knowledge, one is warp and the other weft."

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

In Key Stage 4 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.

Study A-level Mathematics and gain deep 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 Mathematics specification.

Study A-level Further Mathematics and gain an even deeper understanding of the world around us.

If Maths is your favourite subject, then you should study Further Maths as well as A-level Maths. Choosing Further Maths challenges your brain, sharpens your problem-solving skills, and sets you apart for competitive university courses. Plus, it gives you the rare superpower of understanding what your calculator is crying about, which is more useful (and entertaining) than you’d think. You will follow the OCR 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 Information:

For more information please contact Mrs Spearpoint

Details on everything may be found at www.farlingayemaths.co.uk

Examples of KS3 student work may be found here

J560 OCR GCSE syllabus is here.

A Level syllabus may be found here.

Further Maths syllabus may be found here.

Core Maths syllabus may be found here.

The cartoons above are from xkcd.com - a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language.