| Access to Further Mathematics at AS and A Level : Access to Further Mathematics at AS and A Level Seminar, University Loughborough, 20 April 2005 Charlie Stripp MEI, Mathematical Association How we can improve the mathematics skills of all students who wish to progress to mathematics-related degrees and also stretch and inspire the most able. |
| About Further Mathematics : Further Mathematics is an AS/A-level qualification which both broadens and deepens the Mathematics covered in the standard AS/A-level Mathematics. Further Mathematics was originally designed to stretch and inspire the most able and give a strong preparation for maths-related degrees (Engineering and Sciences, as well as Mathematics itself). About Further Mathematics |
| Why do we need to support Further Mathematics? : Why do we need to support Further Mathematics? Talented students may be turned-off mathematics if they are not sufficiently inspired by the standard A-level Mathematics course. Mathematics, Engineering and Science Degree courses often assume a level of mathematical fluency beyond that achieved by students who have only completed A-level Mathematics. |
| Why do we need to support Further Mathematics? : Why do we need to support Further Mathematics? In 1980, 15000 students took A-level Further Mathematics. This has declined to about 5000 entries per year. Main reasons for the decline: Small classes are expensive to run Shortage of suitably qualified staff |
| Why do we need to support Further Mathematics? : Why do we need to support Further Mathematics? There is a serious equal opportunities issue here. Students lucky enough to attend a school or college which can offer Further Mathematics can do it. Others, equally keen and able, cannot. In order to address this problem MEI, funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, set up a pilot project called ‘Enabling Access to Further Mathematics’. |
| The MEI Pilot Project : The MEI Pilot Project A project specifically designed to find alternative models for the successful delivery of Further Mathematics. |
| Vision of the Pilot Project : Vision of the Pilot Project Every student who can benefit from Further Mathematics will have access to study it. The country is covered by groups of schools, colleges and universities, working together to offer Further Mathematics to students in their area. |
| How the Pilot Project works : How the Pilot Project works Students’ study is structured using purpose-written web resources. The web resources are used in conjunction with MEI textbooks. Students’ learning is managed by a project tutor, through a ‘Further Mathematics Lead Centre’. The MEI Project Coordinator and the project team offer training, support and advice. |
| How the Pilot Project works : How the Pilot Project works Linking institutions The pilot Lead Centres also organise ‘Study Days’, which may be attended by students from schools who provide Further Mathematics teaching in-house. The pilot Lead Centres work with local schools and colleges to provide their students with Further Mathematics tuition. |
| Slide10 : Linking institutions |
| How does the tutoring work? : How does the tutoring work? Project tutors can enable students to study Further Mathematics when teaching/tutorial support is not available at their school/college The tutor must have a contact to liaise with in the students’ school/college Maths department. In some cases a combination of in-house and external tutoring is appropriate. The tutors are linked to project ‘Lead Centres’. |
| How does the tutoring work? : How does the tutoring work? There are a several models. What works best depends on local circumstances. Students attend their Lead Centre Videoconferencing Email, fax and telephone Tutors visit students in their schools A combination of these techniques is often most appropriate and effective.
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| Income : Income Schools/colleges can claim qualification funding from the LSC for students using the project, exactly as they do for other AS/A-levels. Current funding is roughly £800 per student for each year of AS/A-level study. Lead Centres charge schools for tuition at a rate that means that schools and colleges can break-even, once textbook costs and exam entries have been paid.
Obviously, by improving the mathematics provision to their students, schools and colleges are doing much more than breaking-even educationally! |
| Pilot Further Maths Centres : Pilot Further Maths Centres
Dr Challoner’s Grammar School (Bucks), Exeter College (Devon), Hertfordshire LEA, University of East Anglia/Norfolk LEA, University of Leicester, University of Loughborough, UWE (Bristol), University of Leeds, University of Manchester, University of Warwick, University of Wolverhampton Initially five Lead Centres were involved We now have 11 Centres, at various stages of development, tutoring a total of over 200 students. |
| Does it work? : Does it work? Feedback from students and teachers has been extremely positive. The results have exceeded our expectations. |
| Does it work? : Students’ performance in their standard Mathematics AS/A-level is enhanced. Does it work? Students and teachers also report very valuable side-effects from the ‘supported self-study’ Lead Centre tutoring model: Students learn to learn more independently. Students have the opportunity to meet and work with students from other schools and colleges who are keen on Mathematics. |
| The Further Mathematics Network : The Further Mathematics Network The Further Mathematics Network is a national expansion of the MEI Access to Further Mathematics pilot project. The aim is to set up 40 – 50 ‘Further Mathematics Centres’, to cover the whole of England. These Further Mathematics Centres will be based on the ‘Lead Centre’ model established during the pilot project. |
| The Further Mathematics Network : Through the Network, ALL students who would benefit will have the opportunity to study for Further Mathematics qualifications. The setting up of the Network will be supported by DfES funding and managed by MEI. The Further Mathematics Network |
| Further Mathematics Centres : Further Mathematics Centres A Further Mathematics Centre is a collaboration between institutions, which could involve one or more of LEAs, universities, colleges and schools. These institutions work together to coordinate the Further Mathematics provision in their region. Each Further Mathematics Centre is managed by a Further Mathematics Centre Manager. Schools, colleges and students served by the Centre form its membership. |
| A wider role for the Further Mathematics Centres : A wider role for the Further Mathematics Centres The Further Mathematics Centres will also need to engage with pupils in Key Stage 4, to encourage uptake of Mathematics post-16. This might be through enrichment work, or by supporting the study of a qualification such as the Additional Mathematics FSMQ. The Centres may also contribute to the continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers in their area, linking with the National Centre for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching. |
| Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A level Mathematics reforms : A disastrous fall in numbers of students taking Mathematics at A level, (approaching 20%) following the introduction of Curriculum 2000, has led to AS/A-level Mathematics being reformed, to bring its level of demand in line with other AS/A-level subjects. Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A level Mathematics reforms This is in line with recommendations made in the Robert’s review, ‘Set for Success’, commissioned by the Treasury, which reported in 2002. |
| Slide23 : “It is essential that pupils have a broadly equal chance to achieve high grades in science and mathematics as they would in other subjects.Without this, fewer pupils will choose to study science and mathematics at higher levels.The Review is firm that arguments about the merits of ‘levelling up ’or ‘dumbing down’are a distraction –if pupils generally find it more difficult to achieve high marks in science and mathematics, this needs to be corrected.The Review believes that this can and should be done without compromising the core knowledge and skills needed for studying science and engineering” SET for Success: Recommendation 2.11 |
| Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A-level Mathematics reforms : However, when commenting on the previous AS/A-level, the Smith Inquiry report, Para 4.37 states: ‘…the distribution of grades … suggests that the more able … are insufficiently challenged and the least able are frequently overstretched.’
Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A-level Mathematics reforms |
| Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A-level Mathematics reforms : Without an increased uptake of Further Mathematics, the AS/A-level reforms will exacerbate problems for the most able. Almost 40% of students completing A-level Mathematics last summer achieved a grade ‘A’; the new A-level Mathematics is less demanding for the most able. Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A-level Mathematics reforms The good news
As part of the reforms, most of the awarding bodies have taken the opportunity to reform their AS/A-level Further Mathematics qualifications, as well as the standard AS/A-level Mathematics. |
| Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A-level Mathematics reforms : Previously AS-level Further Mathematics was effectively harder than full A-level Mathematics and virtually impossible to complete in year 12, because it relied on knowledge of the whole of the A-level Mathematics core The ‘new’ AS-level Further Mathematics is a true AS- level and is designed to be taught alongside the standard AS-level Mathematics in year 12. Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A-level Mathematics reforms |
| Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A level Mathematics reforms : Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A level Mathematics reforms The new AS-level Further Mathematics is primarily a broadening option, introducing useful new topics (complex numbers, matrices) and reinforcing general mathematical fluency. It should be available to ALL students who wish to study for a maths-related degree, not just the very best. The full A-level Further Mathematics is both broadening and deepening and should be available to the most mathematically able and all who wish to study for a Mathematics degree. |
| Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A level Mathematics reforms : Further Mathematics and the 2004 AS/A level Mathematics reforms The reforms provide a real opportunity for a large increase in the numbers of students taking both AS and A-level Further Mathematics, if they can access teaching. The Access to Further Mathematics Pilot Project has shown that it is possible to organise effective Further Mathematics teaching for students, even if their own schools and colleges cannot offer Further Mathematics directly. |
| The effect the FM Network can have on Mathematics : The effect the FM Network can have on Mathematics The Further Mathematics Network, combined with the new structure for AS/A-level Further Mathematics can boost the numbers of students taking Further Mathematics enormously. All students who would benefit from AS/A level Further Mathematics will be able to study it. OfStEd will be able to criticise any schools/colleges whose students are not encouraged to take Further Mathematics. |
| The effect the Network can have on Mathematics : The effect the Network can have on Mathematics Universities will be able to ask for Further Mathematics explicitly in their Offers, which will increase demand from students to study Further Mathematics.
The result will be a significant increase in the take up of AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics and in the standard of pre-university Mathematics. Links with school pupils at Key Stage 4 will boost numbers choosing to study AS/A-level Mathematics. |