Mathematics

Our Middle Scholl Mathematics curriculum aims to ensure that all students:

• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.

Students will be taught content that can be grouped into the following strands:

• Number
• Algebra
• Shape, Space, and Measures (includes geometry and trigonometry)
• Data Handling (includes statistics and probability)

The main aims of the IGCSE course are to enable students to:

• develop a positive attitude towards mathematics in a way that encourages enjoyment, establishes confidence and promotes enquiry and further learning
• develop a feel for number and understand the significance of the results obtained
• apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to their own lives and the world around them
• use creativity and resilience to analyse and solve problems
• communicate mathematics clearly
• develop the ability to reason logically, make inferences and draw conclusions
• develop fluency so that they can appreciate the interdependence of, and connections between, different areas of mathematics
• acquire a foundation for further study in mathematics and other subjects.

Syllabus Content

Syllabus Cambridge IGCSE™ Mathematics

Cambridge IGCSE Additional Mathematics is for students who have completed the IGCSE Extended subject content in Year 10.

The course is designed to stretch the most able students, providing them with the necessary reparation for their chosen course of study post-16. Candidates who achieve grades A* to C are well prepared to follow IB HL Mathematics courses (AA or AI). Additionally, it provides students who opt to follow IB AA SL Mathematics with a distinct advantage.

The main aims of the course are to enable students to:

• engage in mathematics in a way that builds on their existing mathematical knowledge and enhances their enjoyment of the subject
• develop their instinct for mathematical enquiry and use it flexibly to suit the requirements of a situation
• reinforce and extend mathematical skills and apply them to complex problems
• use creativity and resilience to analyse and solve problems
• reinforce their competency, confidence, and fluency in their use of techniques with and without a calculator, strengthening mathematical understanding and communication skills
• justify their reasoning using structured arguments
• extend their ability to reason logically, make inferences and draw conclusions
• enrich their understanding of interdependence of, and connections between, different areas of mathematics
• acquire a solid foundation for advanced study of mathematics or highly numerate subjects.

Syllabus content

Syllabus Cambridge IGCSE™ Additional Mathematics 

Mathematics: Application and Interpretation (SL)

Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation is for students who enjoy mathematics most when they can see it being used. The course places a strong emphasis on statistics, modelling and technology, and students use a graphical calculator throughout. At BISJ it is offered at Standard Level.

Topics include number and algebra, functions and modelling, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability, and an introduction to calculus. Students learn to choose the right technique for a problem, interpret their answers in context and ask how reliable their conclusions really are.

Both examination papers allow the use of technology. Students also complete the mathematical exploration, an independent investigation worth 20% of the final grade, on a topic of their own choosing. AI SL is well suited to students heading towards degrees in the social sciences, business, psychology, the natural sciences or design, where statistics and data handling matter more than pure mathematics.

IB Diploma Programme Subject Brief Mathematics: applications and interpretation

Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (SL/HL)

Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches is for students who enjoy algebra, abstract reasoning and proof. There is a strong emphasis on calculus, and students are expected to construct, communicate and justify mathematical arguments clearly.

The course covers number and algebra, functions, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability, and calculus. Higher Level goes considerably further, including complex numbers, proof by induction, further calculus and differential equations, and has an additional examination paper made up of longer problem-solving questions. Standard Level students sit two papers, one without a calculator and one with.

At both levels students complete the mathematical exploration, an independent piece of written work worth 20% of the final grade. It gives students the chance to investigate an area of mathematics that interests them, without the time pressure of an examination. AA at Higher Level is the usual choice for students planning to study mathematics, physics, engineering or economics at university.

IB Diploma Programme Subject Brief Mathematics: analysis and approaches

If the mathematics learned up to Year 11 is the alphabet, A Level is where students start writing sentences. The course takes the algebra, geometry and number skills from IGCSE and uses them to model real problems, and to prove results rather than simply apply them.

Students study four units of pure mathematics, covering algebra and functions, coordinate geometry, trigonometry, sequences and series, exponentials and logarithms, differentiation, integration, numerical methods and vectors. Alongside these they take Statistics 1, which covers probability, data, correlation and regression and the Normal distribution, and Mechanics 1, which deals with forces, motion and moments.

Each of the six units is assessed by its own written examination, with AS units sat at the end of Year 12 and A2 units at the end of Year 13. A Level Mathematics is required for most science, engineering, computing and economics degrees, and employers value the logical thinking and problem-solving it develops.