Mathematics GCSE (OCR J560)

All students will follow the OCR GCSE course in mathematics as this is a key core subject, providing essential skills and knowledge for their future. They will begin the course in Year 9 and will all be entered for the examination at the end of Year 11.

The course has an increased content and consequently will be assessed via three papers instead of the traditional two.

The new foundation tier has significantly changed, including almost all current grade B and some grade A topics. The new specification has put a greater emphasis on proportion and ratio and a greater formalisation on topics such as probability.

Due to the significant changes to the curriculum, the faculty has been rewriting the curriculum to prepare students for the increased breadth and level of material.

Mathematics and numeracy are essential for all aspects of life. It is envisaged that a grade 4 in this subject will be a requirement for most college and university courses and employers see it as an essential qualification.

Studying this subject directly benefits other curriculum areas such as science, geography, psychology, technology and ICT.

Course Content

Students will study all four areas of mathematics through the following topics:

• Number
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Statistics

Assessment

As with Key Stage 3, assessment will involve students sitting internally produced modular examinations. These will be used to ascertain progress and identify areas for development. Homework will also be used to determine strengths and weaknesses.

Formal assessment is completely externally assessed by OCR via written examinations.

Progression

The course offers progression to Level 3, AS/A2 mathematics, Further Mathematics as well as providing a foundation for a number of other Level 3 courses and career pathways.