Mathematics
In Mathematics, the content of the course is secondary to the skills we learn. Enabling the students to learn through problem-solving prepares them for challenges outside the classroom (as well as becoming creative mathematicians).
Mathematics at Monkton is very popular. Each pupil is encouraged to develop a positive attitude to mathematics and to work with confidence, skill and enjoyment. Mathematics is taught in our £4m state-of-the-art Maths and Science Centre which has exceptional teaching aids, a lecture/IT theatre and resource rooms.
Year 9
What will I learn?
Upon entering Monkton all students in year 9 are taught a common curriculum for the first six weeks, on completion of which they are setted via a department discussion of their class work, prep work and setting examination result. From the second half of the Michaelmas term students in year 9 are separated in to a set 1 group and 3 mixed ability groups. Year 9 set 1 is usually an accelerated group, who typically take their IGCSE examinations early.
GCSE Years 10 and 11
What will I learn?
The course is broken into units with each unit of the syllabus broken down further into five topics, under the headings of Number, Algebra, Graphs, Shape and Space and Handling Data. At the end of each unit there is a unit test. Enrichment material is provided in the form of Fact Finders and Investigations relating Mathematics to real life scenarios.
How is the course structured and assessed?
Pupils in Year 10 and 11 follow the Edexcel iGCSE Mathematics syllabus. We believe this syllabus is a superior course to GCSE. This is because the syllabus is ideally suited to meet the needs of pupils across the spectrum of abilities. It also provides an excellent foundation on which to do A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics.
Set 1 will normally be expected to take the Higher Tier papers alongside an advanced mathematics course. Sets 2 and 3 will also take the Higher Tier Papers.
All pupils will be expected to gain a grade 4 or above, with all of Set 1 and most of Set 2 aiming to achieve a 7, 8 or 9 grade. In general five units of the course are taught in Year 10 and five more taught in Year 11. Pupils work towards two end-of course examinations. Both examinations are calculator papers, and each paper is 2 hours long.
Provision for gifted pupils takes the form of Maths Challenge competitions, enrichment and accelerated learning and the completion of mentoring scheme problems. Provision for pupils requiring learning support takes the form of a timetabled Extra Maths lesson once a week, coupled with access to a private tutor – at an additional cost, and attendance of the maths voluntaries.
A Level Years 12 and 13
Do you love solving problems? Do you want to learn how to think analytically, do you enjoy manipulating algebraic expressions and visualising geometrical representations? The A Level Maths course will provide you with the skills needed for thinking logically and solving complex problems. At the same time it will give you the mathematical understanding of the concepts underpinning scientific knowledge and progress.
What do I need before starting this course?
A grade 7 at IGCSE or equivalent. What will I learn? Primarily the skills to think logically and solve complex problems. However, the nuts and bolts of the course include calculus, trigonometry, geometry, algebra, vectors, statistics and mechanics.
How is this course structured and assessed?
Two-thirds of the course is pure, with the remaining third made up of statistics and mechanics. The course is assessed by examinations taken in the summer of Year 13.
Further Mathematics
Does the challenge of studying twice the amount of Maths in Year 12, compared to a single mathematician, engage you? Do you enjoy hard work and solving lots of problems? Then Further Maths is a good option for you. The course is a fantastic course for those who are thinking of studying maths, the sciences or engineering at university, in addition to those who simply enjoy the beauty and complexity of difficult mathematics.
What do I need before starting this course?
The course is challenging; not least because it is fast paced and its content includes a lot of interesting and difficult topics. Thus to start the course students need to gain a grade 8 or 9 at IGCSE or equivalent. What will I learn? Lots and lots of Maths. You will complete the entire Single Maths course in one year, followed by an additional A Level in Further Maths taken in Year 13. Topics will include Complex numbers, Matrices, Hyberbolic functions and Power series, as well as Statistics, Discrete maths and Mechanics.
How is the course structured?
In Year 12 the split will be the same as that experienced by the single mathematicians - ie two thirds pure with the remaining one third of the course made up of statistics and mechanics topics. In Year 13 students learn additional pure content via Core Pure 1 and Core Pure 2 as well as Further Mechanics 1 and Further Statistics 1.
