Maths

‘’There are things which seem incredible to most men who have not studied Mathematics’’

Aristotle, Greek Philosopher

Mathematics is a subject that opens doors and provides opportunities: doors to employment and further/higher educational courses and opportunities to learn about the relevance of Mathematics to every day life.

Mathematics is all around us. It exists in the proportions of artistic works, in the scores of our favourite songs and in the physical structures we live and work in daily. It is also the bedrock of many other subjects including the Sciences, Economics and Engineering and is extremely relevant to subjects like Psychology and Design.

The study of Mathematics can develop a host of skills that are essential to students continuing in their studies as well as those currently in or entering the workplace. These include problem-solving, logic and reasoning, and attention to detail. Mathematics can also lead to careers in finance, business, IT and teaching, among others.

At Newtownhamilton High School, Mathematics is one of the core subjects and we place importance on numeracy skills, logical thinking and reasoning. Activities include mental maths, use of ICT, investigations and number games.

Key Stage 3

In Key Stage 3 we follow the Northern Ireland Curriculum and use the Key Maths series of text books. We cover Shape & Space, Measures, Number, Algebra, Data Handling and Processes over the three years. Incorporated into the scheme are Financial Capabilities, Mental Maths, Using ICT, Communication and Number Games. At the end of Year 10 we carry out Teacher Assessment of Key Stage 3.

Key Stage 4

In Years 11 and 12 pupils have the opportunity to study CCEA GCSE Mathematics (foundation or higher) or Essential Skills Application of Number, dependent on their individual abilities and interests. GCSE Additional Mathematics is also available to those pupils following the higher tier specification.

GCSE Mathematics

The CCEA GCSE Mathematics (foundation or higher) specification gives students opportunities to:

develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of mathematical methods and concepts

acquire and use problem-solving strategies

select and apply mathematical techniques and methods in mathematical, everyday and real-world situations

reason mathematically, make deductions and inferences, and draw conclusions

interpret and communicate mathematical information in a variety of forms.

It also gives students a sound basis for progression, including progression to further study of mathematics at AS/A2 level or to the world of work.

Course Breakdown

In Year 11 pupils will study and sit Module T2 or T4 worth 45% of their final GCSE mark. A few pupils will also study and sit module T6 in Year 11, completing their GCSE in one year and then progressing on to Additional Mathematics in Year 12. In Year 12 most pupils will study and sit module T5 worth 55% of their final GCSE mark.

It is possible for pupils to re-sit any module once to try to improve their grade.

Essential Skills Application of Number

Qualifications in CCEA Essential Skills Application of Number at Levels 1 & 2 are also on offer to Key Stage 4 pupils as an alternative to GCSE Mathematics.

Essential Skills is a national qualification and in order to achieve this qualification in Application of Number at level 1 or 2 pupils will be required to produce a portfolio of evidence based on one or more of a chosen action-based activity(ies) and obtain a pass mark of 70% or more in a Desktop Task.

GCSE Additional Mathematics

This course is offered to a small number of higher tier GCSE pupils who will study GCSE Mathematics in Year 11 and then GCSE Additional Mathematics in Year 12.

This course takes pupils beyond GCSE higher tier Mathematics and gives them the opportunity to study some of the mechanics and statistics topics that students encounter in AS Level Mathematics. The course is split into 2 sections: Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics (which is further divided into Mechanics and Statistics) with both sections examined in separate 2 hour written papers.

Pure Mathematics continues the study of algebra and trigonometry beyond that studied at GCSE level. It introduces three new topics:

Calculus

Logarithms

Matrices

Mechanics is introduced for the first time to pupils in this subject. The main concept is of a vector quantity which has both a direction and a magnitude as opposed to a scalar quantity that has only a magnitude. Two important vectors are considered, force and displacement which can help explain what happens in the world around us. Other topics that are introduced are:

The Equations of Constant Acceleration

Friction

Newton’s Laws

Equilibrium of a Particle

Statistics develops the topics studied in data handling at GCSE level and introduces two new topics:

Bivariate Analysis

Time Series

Career Possibilities

Accountant

Actuary

Career in Buying & Selling

Computer Programmer