Mathematics (Further)

Course summary

The Mathematics Department of St Paul’s School has an international reputation. We don’t teach to the examination, we teach mathematics – and exam success is a consequence. Our pupils are not just highly skilled but show enthusiasm and real understanding, and there’s a vital mathematics culture in the school. On any day you will hear pupils of all ages discussing mathematics with knowledge and interest, and the mathematics staff equally find time to throw mathematical ideas around every day. There are whiteboards in the maths department corridors where questions are displayed, and you will find pupils discussing the problems and offering solutions. The powerful intellectual curiosity characteristic of St Paul’s School is exemplified by the passion for mathematics shown by staff and pupils alike. A central part of the school’s educational creed is that we do not accelerate our pupils by entering them early for public examinations. Instead, we stretch them by providing extra depth, and in particular by using a wide range of harder questions and problems. We have consistently outstanding success in national competitions such as the British Mathematical Olympiad. Mathematics is a core subject to GCSE. At A Level it is hugely popular: typically, over 85% of pupils take Mathematics A Level and around 40% study Further Mathematics. In 2022/23 182 pupils in Year 13 study Mathematics A Level and 83 study Further Mathematics.