MATHEMATICS GCSE

Exam Board: Edexcel

Course Overview / Introduction

The Mathematics department at Brakenhale School is committed to equipping you with the skills they need for life, beyond the classroom. Our curriculum is designed to support students of all abilities to achieve personal successes, from accomplishing the everyday tasks in which we need Maths to help us complete, to recalling the facts interwoven throughout the syllabus that support the breadth of knowledge inherent in a rich and diverse subject area.

What will you study?

The GCSE Maths curriculum encompasses facts, formulae and skills that fall into the following five categories: 

• Number 

• Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change 

• Algebra 

• Geometry and Measures 

• Statistics and Probability 

Within these subheadings, you will be guided through “why” we study this aspect of Maths, “what” it will help us with in life beyond Brakenhale, and “how” we learn the best method for its application. 

You may be tested on elements of these topics in their own right, or in conjunction with another skill or fact. These “problem solving” aspects are why we begin our GCSE course in Year 9. When we finish the syllabus at the end of Year 10, we are able to focus on how these individual topics relate to each other, when we might come across a problem that requires us to draw upon more than one skill in an exam, and how to tackle that successfully. 

To ensure we cater to all abilities, there are two tiers: Foundation and Higher. You will begin year 9 undertaking one of these tiers, depending on the class you are in, but it is important to note that there is always room for movement as we work our way through the course. 

How is the course assessed?

Your final mark is made up of an average taken from a combination of three exams, each is worth 80 marks and are 1 hour 30 minutes long. All three papers evenly test the breadth of syllabus, touching on a range of the above topics.

• Paper 1: Non-calculator 

• Paper 2: Calculator

• Paper 3: Calculator

What will you gain from this course?

As you progress through the course, you will gain an understanding of just how often Maths is used in every-day-life. Our aim is to not only prepare you for future career paths, but to provide you with the skills to succeed daily, from helping you to work out the change you should receive in a shop during the sales, to arming you with an understanding of a plethora of activities: the scale and measurements needed to bake cakes, to create your design and technology project, to redecorate your bedroom, to calculate the speed you rode your bike at.

What does this lead to?

No matter what career path you find yourself on, you will use your Maths qualification daily. If you enter a Trade, you may use your Maths GCSE to pay your employees, to work out how much your job will cost and what profit you’ll make; these are jobs such as Roofing, Plumbing, Building, Mechanical Engineering, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Armed Forces etc. Those that choose to take Maths into A-Level might work in Accounting, Medicine, Architecture, Physiotherapy, and many more. 

Where will Maths take you?

Staff Contact:

Mrs C Naker
Head of Maths