Sixth Form Open Evening 2020 Welcome to Mathematics

Sixth Form Open Evening 2020 Welcome to Mathematics

Meet the Maths Team at NSFG ! From Left to Right Mrs. Hariharan Ms. Reading Mr. Ilijevski Ms. Krovvidi Ms. Bhachu Mrs. Bansal Ms. Aldous

Knowing that I can change the lives of so many young children is what made me want to become a teacher. There is nothing I would love more than to teach, as I am of the opinion that only knowledge and education can provide the best opportunities for each of us. I believe in hard work and perseverance. So my message to my students has always been ‘Small steps lead to big dreams’. Mrs. Hariharan I am Usha Hariharan, Subject Leader of a very cohesive Maths team. The Subject Leader Maths team at NSFG are my support and motivation. The enthusiasm and of Mathematics optimism of this team is very contagious! They inspire me everyday and you Currently Teaches Pure Maths to Year 12. will believe me when I tell you that they convinced me to go on the ‘Stealth’ at Thorpe Park. (I have never been on any ride before!). Trust me when I say you are in safe hands and we will support you throughout your journey at NSFG. When I am not obsessing over my Maths, I like to garden, cook and play badminton or scrabble with my girls. Sometimes I can persuade them to play ‘Maths’ games too. I hope you will be just as pleased learning Maths with me as I am to be teaching you. I look forward to seeing you all in September.

Mr. Ilijevski currently Teaches Statistics and Mechanics to Year 12 and 13

My name is Sangita Bansal and I have been teaching Mathematics at NSFG from about 10 years. Mrs. Bansal Currently Teaches Pure Maths to Year 13. I believe that gaining a full understanding of something takes time and reflection. In my lessons we will cover the A-level Core Maths syllabus and exam techniques, but we will also delve deeper into the concepts to understand them and appreciate their application in real life situations rather than just replicate methods. Mathematics is a demanding subject so we will work hard, but in return you will learn to think differently and will build a firm foundation to pursue a numerate degree. I completed my Masters in Commerce and Ph. D in Finance in India and started my career as a lecturer there. After I moved to England, I continued to pursue my passion for teaching by completing my PGCE in teaching 11 -18 Secondary Mathematics. Outside of the classroom I enjoy baking, running and playing board games with my family. I can’t wait to meet you all and get stuck in some maths problems!

A level Maths opens the door to leading universities “Doing facilitating subjects, particularly maths, may be a sensible choice of A-level for those aspiring to a high-ranking university, even if the content is not required for the intended course. ” Report by Catherine Dilnot, Institute of Education, 2017

Most Popular A level in 2019 is …… A-level Mathematics! Top GCE A-level subjects in 2019 by entry Ranking Subject % of total Number of candidates 1 Mathematics 11. 5 91985 2 Biology 8. 6 69196 3 Psychology 8. 1 64598 4 Chemistry 7. 4 59090 5 History 6. 4 51438

Use of IT- Ex: Geogebra software Small Class Sizes to make difficult geometrical/ statistical concepts clearer Supportive teachers We encourage you to become independent learners How do we support you at NSFG? Personalised support after school End of topic / Detailed Assessment and Feedback throughout – similar to GCSE! We make you think ! Emphasis on collaborative learning to improve problem solving skills.

Example of how IT has been used in lessons to enhance learning

I would recommend that you do some form of maths everyday for at least 30 minutes- 1 hour as it requires a lot of work to not only understand the principles behind maths but tricks that could help you solve a problem in a simpler way. -Athina Even though it will be an incredibly hard journey, it’s all worth it in the end. A lot of hard work and effort is needed to succeed in this field, but its not impossible in the slightest. --Amy To watch You. Tube videos as they can find different explanations and different methods for each topic. -Zlata Advice from current Year 12/13. Remember, don’t hesitate to ask for help, whether it be a teacher or a fellow student, everybody will be happy to help. -Amy Problem-solving questions are all over the paper, so practice is needed to understand what the question is asking. Frequent exam practise questions is another recommendation I’d give as you need to adapt to the style of wording each exam board provides. -Athina

Expectations of the Maths Department • 3 Pure Lessons and 2 Statistics and Mechanics lessons totalling 5 hours. Punctuality to all lessons is a key expectation. • Being prepared for the lesson by researching/reading through before hand the topic to be taught. • Homework will be set every week and must be completed to the best of your ability and handed in on time. • If you have missed a lesson or need help, it is your responsibility to ask or catch up on missed work! • You are expected to do independent revision for at least 4 hours per week as you perfect Maths by doing. • Revision is the key for tests and assessments. Also, you are expected to act on feedback given by your teachers on a regular basis.

What is covered in AS/A level Mathematics ?

ASSESSMENTS • Fully linear: exams at the end of second year. • Calculator allowed for all the assessments. • You will be doing the AS exam at the end of Year 12 as an external examination. This will enable you to be thorough with the Year 12 content and also help you identify the topics which need more focus on. AS Level Examination Paper 1 -Pure Mathematics 2 hours- 100 marks Paper 2 -Statistics and Mechanics 1 hr 15 min Total 60 marks A level Examination Paper 1 -Pure Mathematics 2 hours -100 marks Paper 2 - Pure Mathematics 2 hours-100 marks Paper 3 -Stat and Mech 2 hours-100 marks

Euclid’s Elements. Euclid