11-16 maths curriculum

The maths curricula for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 in state-funded schools in England have been specified by the government.

GCSE Mathematics

Most students in state-funded schools and colleges are entered for the GCSE Mathematics qualification at the end of Key Stage 4.

GCSE Mathematics has a Foundation Tier (grades 1 – 5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4 – 9). It is offered in England by the following awarding bodies:

• AQA
• Edexcel
• Eduqas
• OCR

The DfE Subject content and assessment objectives for GCSE in mathematics provides further details about the qualification.

The following maths-related qualifications are sometimes taken alongside and in addition to GCSE Mathematics:

GCSE Statistics

This GCSE focuses on how statistics are used in real life and is particularly useful preparation for students taking A levels in subjects that involve handling data and interpreting statistics, such as psychology.

It’s offered by AQA and Edexcel, and further details are available on the AQA and Edexcel websites.

Level 2 certificate in Further Mathematics

This qualification, offered by AQA, provides an introduction to the maths studied in AS/A level Mathematics. It is designed to stretch and challenge high achieving mathematicians who are expected to achieve top grades in GCSE Mathematics.

Further details are available on the AQA website.

FSMQ Level 3 in Additional Mathematics

This Free Standing Mathematics Qualification (FSMQ) is a level 3 qualification. It also provides an introduction to the maths studied in AS/A level Mathematics. It’s designed to provide enrichment for students who have a thorough knowledge of the content of Higher Tier GCSE Mathematics, ideally those on track to achieve grades 7-9. It’s offered by OCR.

Further details are available on the OCR website.