Overview

A series of maths problem solving classes designed to develop students' problem solving skills so they have the confidence to apply for universities that include an admissions test (MAT or TMUA) as part of their offer.

These regular classes offer students the opportunity to develop their problem solving skills by trying out challenging problems that require deep mathematical thinking, and so help them meet the challenges they may face in embarking on a maths-rich university course or career. The problems are fun and rewarding and attending the sessions will enrich a student's mathematical experience. Students will look at problems from a range of sources including the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT) used by Oxford University and Imperial College, London.

The course will comprise of 7 sessions, each lasting 2 hours. In every session there will be some teaching, but you will also spend a considerable amount of each lesson tackling challenging questions. Students will be expected to commit around 1 hour of additional time to complete pre and post session activities. In addition to tackling challenging maths questions, you will also have the opportunity to meet like-minded students from your own school as well as from other local schools. 

Aims

• To develop confidence in dealing with maths problems
• To develop students' resilience when attempting maths problems
• To provide information about the problem solving skills required in MAT and TMUA
• To give students the opportunity to attempt problems both in groups and on their own
• To give students the opportunity to think about how solutions to problems are presented
• To provide students with the opportunity to explore areas of maths not in the standard curriculum

Who will benefit from attending?

The classes are suitable for any Year 13 A level Mathematics/Further Mathematics students who are applying for universities that include an admissions test (MAT or TMUA) as part of their offer and who wish to develop their problem solving ability at A level and beyond.  Students should be Year 13 in September 2023.

Content

Students attending the classes will encounter problems covering a variety of topics.

These include:

• Integers and Sequences and Series
• Polynomials and Functions
• Logarithms
• Proof and Logical Thinking
• Coordinate Geometry and Trigonometry
• Curve Sketching and Integration
• Algorithms and Counting

Materials and equipment

The classes are being held online so you will need access to suitable equipment. You are advised to use a headset or headphones with an inline microphone to provide the best sound quality and to prevent audio issues for other users. A laptop with a built-in webcam and microphone may be sufficient if you’re in a quiet area but please take the time to check this before the session. The online BBB classroom is designed to be used on a variety of platforms but you will get the best experience via a desktop or laptop computer, running either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as the browser.

Note: Internet Explorer and Edge are not suitable currently.

Access to GeoGebra or Desmos will also be useful.

Study schedule

Tuesday 5th September

Tuesday 12th September

Tuesday 19th September

Tuesday 26th September

Tuesday 3rd October

Tuesday 10th October

Tuesday 7th November

Key facts

• Reference:#11360
• Audience:Students
• Target year:Year 13
• Curriculum focus:University admissions tests
• Mathematical focus:Problem solving
• Format:Online
• Duration:20 hour(s)
• Region:East of England
• Start date:05 Jul 2023
• Fee:Free