Worthing College
Academy of Mathematics
www.worthing.ac.uk
Worthing College Academy of Mathematics The Academy of Mathematics at Worthing College provides aspiring young mathematicians with the opportunity to access top quality teaching at a college with an excellent mathematics provision. The teaching team includes a number of A Level examiners and text book authors with high levels of expertise and exam board knowledge. Worthing College also hosts the Further Mathematics Support Programme regional coordinator and is a research centre for the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics. There are over 300 students taking Mathematics at A Level and, of these, 95 study also for Further Mathematics at AS or A2 Level. These numbers include a strong cohort of international students who make a significant contribution to the college. Pass rates are 97% for A level Maths and 100% for Further Maths. High grades (A*-B) are 53% and 74% respectively. There is also the opportunity to study for an A Level in Statistics.
The college is dedicated to encouraging young mathematicians and offering them the best possible opportunities to develop their skills. Support sessions are offered by staff every lunchtime and students have the opportunity to share their love of mathematics by acting as peer mentors. In the Academy of Mathematics, mathematics students will experience the excitement and beauty of mathematics and will be introduced to the many careers available to mathematicians.
Right: Worthing College students organise the Mathematics Team Challenge which was hosted by the Academy of Mathematics. Below: students attending a Cryptology lecture at an Exploring Maths event at Sussex University.
www.worthing.ac.uk
What is the Academy of Mathematics? The Maths Academy consists of a group of about 300 students studying AS and A Level mathematical subjects. Students in the Academy will be expected to attend many organised activities outside college to enhance their enjoyment and experience of mathematics. Scholars at the Academy will be encouraged to consider pursuing a degree rich in mathematics at the top UK universities. They will have the opportunity to attend preparation sessions for interviews and will be encouraged to access all the enrichment opportunities available. Worthing College Academy of Mathematics encourages all students with A and A* grades in GCSE Mathematics to access Further Mathematics AS in Year 12. This prestigious qualification offers the best preparation for a degree which has a significant mathematical content and is valued highly by top universities as well as by employers.
The top mathematicians in the Academy are prepared for the Sixth Term Exam Paper (STEP) which is required by Cambridge, Warwick, Bath, Bristol and other top universities for mathematics undergraduate applicants. There is also the opportunity for students to gain the Maths Leader Award which provides young mathematicians with evidence that they have developed communication, organisational and motivational skills in working with others through leading maths activities.
Below: The Worthing College Academy of Mathematics team were proud winners of the Surrey Maths Business Challenge, which was held at Surrey University in 2011.
Opportunity Achievement Success Progression
The Academy of Mathematics Scholarship What are the Academy of Mathematics Scholarships? These prestigious scholarships are open to all mathematics applicants to Worthing College and to mathematics students in Year 12 and Year 13. Applicants can apply for the scholarship in Year 11, Year 12 or both years. The scholarships offer merit payments each term together with a graphical calculator at the start of the A Level course and an Academy Scholar sweatshirt. Scholars will have the opportunity to participate in the Senior Maths Challenge and will be able to apply to represent Worthing College in the Senior Maths Team Challenge. They will have the opportunity to attend Maths in Action lectures at the London Institute, Royal Institution Mathematics lectures and Mathematics Masterclasses at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Scholars will be encouraged to attend Mathematical Association lectures locally and any enrichment events for Year 12 students. Scholars will be able to apply to be peer mentors in the Mathematics department and will be expected to share their mathematical ability with others, for which they will receive payment. They will also be able to attend the Maths Club and experience running activities as a group. They will have access to STEP (Sixth Term Exam Paper) and Challenge sessions where Mathematics is explored beyond the confines of the A Level specification in order to enhance their knowledge and experience of Mathematics and support their university application.
How do I apply for an Academy of Mathematics Scholarship? As a first step you should apply to join Worthing College on-line at www.worthing.ac.uk including a mathematical A level in your choices. If you have achieved or are predicted to achieve an A or A* in GCSE Mathematics or an A in AS Mathematics you are entitled to apply for an Academy of Mathematics Scholarship. Applicants will be required to provide a personal statement outlining their reasons for applying for the scholarship and they will be expected to provide a reference from their Mathematics teacher at school or college. Further details are available at www.worthing.ac.uk or for more information or an informal chat please contact the Academy of Mathematics Co-ordinator, Gill BuquĂŠ, at g.buque@worthing.ac.uk.
www.worthing.ac.uk
The Academy of Mathematics: What the students say Christine (Qianwen) Li, Sara Eastwood and Joe Bamford went to a Maths Masterclass at Churchill College Cambridge. Both Christine and Sara said how much they enjoyed the tours of the college and the Maths Centre. Joe found the talk on Bio-fluidmechanics, showing Maths applied to Biological situations, very interesting. They also considered mathematical paradoxes and joined in activities on Transformations and saw this aspect of Maths applied to solving the Rubic Cube. Mark Austin Mark took Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A Level and is currently studying at Cambridge university. “Further Maths proved to be a very useful subject to study and acts as very worthwhile preparation for a degree in science subjects such as engineering, physics and maths. Also Further Maths builds on the Mathematics A Level, so doing both is
achievable and probably easier than doing two contrasting A Levels.” Jessica Sepe studied Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A Level. She is currently in her second year at Bath University. “Doing Further Maths A Level really helped with the first year of my Chemical Enginering degree as I had covered all the maths topics already.” Tom Conway Tom took Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A Level and is currently studying at Cambridge University. “I had a great two years at Worthing College, especially the Maths and Further Maths lessons. Studying Further Maths was particularly important, it was an interesting course, and I couldn’t do my degree course without it. It’s also liked by universities, so it made getting offers a lot easier.”
www.worthing.ac.uk
www.worthing.ac.uk
Mathematics AS/A Level
One year course for AS; two year course for A Level. Choose either Mathematics with Mechanics or Mathematics with Statistics. What is this course about? It is to extend your range of mathematical skills and techniques. You will acquire the foundation necessary for the further study of Mathematics and other related disciplines and develop the ability to recognise real-life situations which can be modelled mathematically. You will gain the appropriate knowledge of procedures to be followed in order to produce useful results and develop confidence and enthusiasm in your approach to the subject. How will my work be assessed? In the January of each year the first Pure Maths unit exam is taken with the exams for second Pure Maths unit and the Application unit taken in June. The first three units make up the AS qualification and all six form the full A Level. There is no coursework for this subject.
Are there any specific entry requirements? You will need grade B or above in GCSE Maths higher tier to start the course. If you have a grade C you should consider studying Statistics AS/A Level. What do students say about this course? “It goes very well with my Physics course as this has a lot of Maths in it.” “Although it is a hard course I find it rewarding when I solve a complicated problem. I found the homework useful as it gave me a chance to see if I could do the work on my own.”
What do people do with A Level Mathematics? It is a valuable qualification in many Higher Education courses including degrees in Mathematics, the Sciences, Engineering, Finance and Computing. It gives a sound basis for following these areas up as careers too.
Opportunity Achievement Success Progression
Further Mathematics AS/A Level
You must combine this with AS/A Level Mathematics with Mechanics. One year course for AS; two year course for A Level. What is this course about? In combination with Mathematics with Mechanics, this is the double Maths course for those who wish to study Mathematics to a higher level.
How will my work be assessed? At AS: You will take the Decision 1 and Statistics 1 modules in January with the Further Pure 1 unit in June.
What do students say about this course? “If you are good at Maths and enjoy it then it is well worth having a go at Further Maths, but be prepared to work hard and think hard.�
It is particularly useful to those who want to go on to study a degree in a mathematically related discipline. The Further Mathmatics course is more difficult than the Mathmatics course and is therefore suited to those students who are able mathematicians.
At A2: The Decision 2 module and Further Pure 2 modules are taken in January with Further Pure 3 in June. There is no coursework for any of the modules studied.
What do people do with A Level Further Maths? Maths and Further Maths is an important pair of qualifications if you wish to study Mathematics, the Sciences, Engineering, Computing or Finance at university. It also provides the basis for a career as a Mathematics teacher.
To study Further Mathmatics you must take the Mathmatics with Mechanics course as well.
Are there any specific entry requirements? You will need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade A* - C, including at least a grade A in Mathematics.
Opportunity Achievement Success Progression
Statistics AS/A Level
One year course for AS; two year course for A Level. What is this course about? Statistics is about turning figures into facts and information which enable us to make decisions in the real world. It is for those students who wish to study Statistics to help them with any statistical work that they may encounter in future careers or Higher Education, or because they have enjoyed studying Statistics as part of their GCSE course How will my work be assessed? Each year, one unit exam is taken in January with the other two units in June. There is no coursework. The first three units make up the AS grade. All six go towards the final A Level grade Are there any specific entry requirements? You will need a minimum of five GCSEs at grade A* - C, including a grade C or above in GCSE Maths or Statistics.
Left: Worthing College Mathematics students receive news of their A Level results.
What do students say about this course? “It is useful for other A Level courses that have Statistics in them.” “I found it useful to use the graphic calculator to do something quickly and easily without all those calculations on paper that we had to do for GCSE.” ”I appreciated being shown why the methods worked.” “I liked being able to relate my conclusions to real life problems.”
What do people do with A Level Statistics? It is a useful qualification for Higher Education courses including Biology, Biochemistry, Geology, Geography, Psychology, Finance, Business, Medicine, Physiotherapy or Sports Science. Statisticians can work in the healthcare environment, in the pharmaceutical industry, in quality control, as a government statistician or for major companies as highly paid actuaries.
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Worthing College, Bolsover Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 1NS 01903 243389 info@worthing.ac.uk www.worthing.ac.uk