In a world where computers can perform complex calculations many times faster than a human it is often transferable skills that make the study of mathematics so enjoyable and valuable.
Being able to think logically and to be comfortable trying, and failing, and trying again are vital. At Badminton we teach girls to solve problems by being curious, collaborative, thoughtful and determined. We encourage those who find the study of mathematics exciting in and of itself to enter both local and national mathematics competitions such as the Cipher Challenge at Southampton University and the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Challenges and British Mathematical Olympiad offered by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust.
In Year 7, girls begin by being taught in their Form Groups while we get to know them and their abilities in Mathematics. After the first Term they are then placed in a set where we feel they will best achieve their potential. These sets are reviewed regularly to make sure that every girl is getting the best out of her mathematics. In Years 7 and 8 we concentrate on basic number and algebra using puzzles and problems to practise and embed these skills. In Year 9 we start to expand the range of mathematics studied as we begin working towards GCSE.
At GCSE girls are in four sets with an average size of around 12. Having such small groups allows us to offer one-to-one help to those who may need a little extra and also to challenge those who excel in the subject. We follow the Edexcel IGCSE Mathematics curriculum which covers work in five main areas;
The top set also follow either the Edexcel IGCSE Further Pure Mathematics course or the OCR Additional Mathematics course alongside the standard IGCSE.
Mathematics is the most popular subject studied by Badminton girls at A Level. We offer both Mathematics and Further Mathematics and follow the Edexcel curriculum for both*. This has three main strands;
Core Mathematics is already familiar to girls from GCSE while Mechanics and Statistics give them the opportunity to use their mathematics to model the real world. Further Mathematics takes things to another level and is an excellent course for those who wish to study either a Mathematics degree or a degree with a high mathematical content such as Physics, Engineering or Economics.
Badminton School, Westbury Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, BS9 3BA
T : +44 (0)117 905 5200
