Welcome to the Mathematics department
We aim to have every student here at The Forum Centre achieve at least one qualification in mathematics to help them reach the next step in their life when they leave here at the end of Key Stage 4.
These are all the mathematics qualifications that a student can achieve at our school. They are in order of completion and worth:
AQA Unit Awards
These are short topics of work in which students can gain Certificates. Each student has the potential to complete 60 unit awards from AQA in maths and these will help them in their revision for other maths qualifications throughout Key Stage 4.
AQA Entry Level Certificate (Level 1, 2 and 3)
Each student must complete 15 Unit Awards based on various maths topics. For example: Written methods, 2D & 3D shapes, charts & graphs, and measurement. Once these are completed, they then complete 8 short externally-set tests, to gain this qualification.
AQA Functional Skills.
Level 1:
Each student must complete a further 13 Unit Awards based on various maths topics. For example: Fractions, decimals & percentages, averages & range and earning money. Once these are completed, they are then required to complete a revision guide to practise Functional Skills style exam questions. Level 1 is equivalent to a GCSE grade 1 - 3. Many colleges are accepting the FS level 1 for a level 2 course if the student does not have the required grade at GCSE.
Level 2:
Each student must complete a further 11 Unit Awards based on various maths topics. For example: Writing algebra rules and speed, distance & time. Once these are completed they are then required to complete a revision guide to practise Functional Skills style exam questions. Level 2 is equivalent to a GCSE grade at 4 or above. Many colleges are accepting the FS Level 2 for a level 3 course if the student does not have the required grade at GCSE.
Both exams are set and marked externally by AQA. There are 4 dates for these exams throughout the school year. These exams can also be taken more than once. They are also calculator exams.
AQA GCSE
Each student must complete a further 18 Unit Awards based on assorted topics that have not been covered already. The fundamental areas that maths covers are number, algebra, ratio, proportion & rates of change, geometry & measures, probability, and statistics.
All students in Key Stage 4 follow the GCSE 8300 course which offers Foundation Tier (grades 1 – 5) and Higher Tier (grades 4 – 9). Students will be assessed by 3 exam papers (each 1hr 30 mins) in May/June of their Year 11. They are equally weighted, each counting for 1/3 of the total marks, and content from any part of the curriculum may be assessed. Paper 1 is Non- Calculator & Papers 2 & 3 are both Calculator papers. Some of the students will have an opportunity to sit the GCSE Statistics exam as well and therefore achieving two GCSE's in Mathematics.