Summary

Further Mathematics is a course that broadens and deepens the maths covered in the A Level in Mathematics. Please note that you must take the Mathematics A Level alongside this option.
. This course develops your mathematical ability and introduces you to new topics, which are vital if you are intending to study a mathematics degree. When you study Further Mathematics at A Level, you will not only learn new mathematical skills, but will also apply them to solving problems. You will see how the subject can be used to show what is happening and what might happen in different real life situations.

Each year of the Further Mathematics course includes a compulsory core (pure) mathematics unit and two optional units in areas such as pure mathematics, statistics and mechanics. Options may vary from year to year, depending on demand. Core mathematics extends your knowledge of topics such as algebra, trigonometry and geometry as well as learning some new ideas such as calculus. These ideas are interesting in their own right, but they also serve as a foundation for other work you will do.

In statistics you will learn how to analyse and summarise numerical data to arrive at conclusions and predictions about it. Mechanics describes mathematically the motion of objects and how they respond to forces acting on them. Many of the ideas studied here form an introduction to modern fields of study such as robotics and biomechanics, as well as the more traditional ones of engineering and physics. There is a total of six modules to be completed.
Mathematics can be challenging at this level. To succeed, you will need to be able to think clearly and logically and just as importantly, to persevere when you can’t immediately see the solution to a problem. Mathematics and Further Mathematics can be taken with any other subjects, but students often choose; Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Business Studies or Geography.