What is Further Maths?

It is a challenging and rewarding course; you get to delve into new and more sophisticated areas of Maths, broaden your knowledge of all of the applied areas (statistics, mechanics and decision), and extend and develop your understanding beyond the standard A-level in Maths.

Students find that studying Further Maths helps them understand and consolidate the maths they are doing in A-level Maths and as a result get a boost in their marks. If you wish to study a mathematically rich subject (Maths, Physics, Engineering) at a top university, then having A-level Further Maths makes you a more desirable candidate and makes the transition from college study to university study easier.

  • Course specific entry requirements

    Grade 8 from Maths

  • Assessment methods

    AS two 1h 40m exams / A-level four 1h 30m exam

  • Course duration

    1 year / 2 years

  • Course type

    AS level / Linear A-level

  • Exam board

    Edexcel

How you will study

Further Mathematics is taught as a separate subject from single Mathematics to allow students to move at an appropriate pace and to receive the necessary teaching for each unit. How you study Further Maths will be complementary to your A-level Maths study. There will be regular low stakes assessments with 3 graded assessments during the year.

Course content summary:

  • Pure topics include:

    Complex numbers, Matrices, hyperbolic functions, advanced algebra, trigonometry and calculus

  • Mechanics includes:

    Collisions, circular motion, work, energy and power.

  • Statistics includes:

    Discrete random variables, poisson distribution, continuous random variables, exponential distribution.

  • Discrete includes:

    Graphs, networks, linear programming, critical path analysis, game theory, group theory.

Why Xaverian?

  • We have a number of links and events with the University of Manchester and the Advanced Maths Support Programme. The area coordinator for Manchester is based at Xaverian College.

  • Trips to guest lectures and events

What can I do after Xaverian?

Mathematicians take up jobs in computing as programmers, systems analysts, software engineers and consultants. Mathematicians become statisticians in government departments, market research, commerce and insurance companies.

There are openings as teachers at all levels, and as researchers in Mathematics, Science and Technology. There are opportunities in operations research, in cartography, architecture, astronomy, shipping and airlines. Mathematicians work as economists, in legal firms, in publishing, in advertising, in health care and in the armed services.

Why Xaverian?

  • We have a number of links and events with the University of Manchester and the Advanced Maths Support Programme. The area coordinator for Manchester is based at Xaverian College.

  • Trips to guest lectures and events

What can I do after Xaverian?

Mathematicians take up jobs in computing as programmers, systems analysts, software engineers and consultants. Mathematicians become statisticians in government departments, market research, commerce and insurance companies.

There are openings as teachers at all levels, and as researchers in Mathematics, Science and Technology. There are opportunities in operations research, in cartography, architecture, astronomy, shipping and airlines. Mathematicians work as economists, in legal firms, in publishing, in advertising, in health care and in the armed services.