Mathematics Department

Mathematics plays a major role in the Curriculum. It is a key subject in its own right, but it also complements any other subject. Mathematical skills are vital to employment and are much in demand for Higher Education. It is particularly useful in conjunction with subjects chosen from Science, Business, Computing and the Social Sciences. A qualification in Mathematics at A or AS is very valuable and in a recent study it was shown that graduates with A level Mathematics earned 10% more than those without.

The Mathematics Department at Itchen is well regarded - many international students choose to study Mathematics at Itchen.

We have courses to suit all abilities from level 1 Managing Money to Double Mathematics A level. See the prospectus for more details but a brief summary is below.

Double Mathematics A level:

This is an academically very demanding course suitable for students who like maths and have at least a grade 'A' in GCSE maths. It leads to an AS level in Further Mathematics and another in Mathematics in the first year, and then to the similar two A level qualifications in the second year. It is worth noting that we offer twice as many lessons for Double Mathematics as we do for the single subject, so our Double Maths tend to get very good at the subject and so get high grades.

Mathematics AS and A level:

This is the benchmark subject for students to take up if they wish to go on to do scientific subjects at university. It will reward mathematically able students who can do regular homework assignments and who are willing to take a lot of responsibility for their own learning. There is a choice of Mechanics or Statistics in the first year.

Free Standing Mathematics Qualification in Using and Applying Statistics:

This is a course for students who are good at mathematics but do not wish to do AS level Mathematics. They will get a good grounding in basic statistics, which will be especially helpful for students doing other subjects which use statistics such as Psychology or Biology. Assessment is by portfolio and a single final examination.

Free Standing Mathematics Qualification in Foundations of Advanced Mathematics:

This course is for students who have got at least a grade 'C' in GCSE Mathematics and who wish to continue the study of the subject without the pressure involved in doing AS level mathematics. It is good for those who are not quite ready to tackle AS level but need to take a year to consolidate their knowledge before trying AS level. Assessment is by a single multiple choice examination.

GCSE Mathematics:

Students with a Grade 'D' in GCSE Mathematics will be encouraged to re-sit the qualification in their first year at college. There may be an opportunity for those who have already done quite well at Intermediate level GCSE to do the examination in November of the first year.

Free Standing Mathematics Qualification in Managing Money:

This is a practical course based on personal finances with an emphasis on understanding simple money calculations. The assessment is based on portfolio work done during the year and on a single final examination.