Overview

Our Yr13 Problem Solving classes will be delivered on Saturday mornings via 2 Face-2-Face sessions, based at the Westminster City School (SW1E 5HJ), which will take place at the start and end of the course, with 4 online sessions sandwiched between these.  Students need to be able to attend all the sessions and therefore their availability needs to be checked before applying, see schedule below for dates. 

This course is designed for students considering studying a university degree with mathematical content, but where a University Entrance Assessment is not required.

These regular classes offer students the opportunity to develop mathematical problem-solving skills through discussion and collaboration. They are designed to help students to develop strategies and confidence when tackling unfamiliar problems in maths.

At the same time, the problems used in the course are fun and rewarding. Attending the sessions will greatly enrich students’ mathematical experience and help them to develop a better understanding of A level Mathematics.

Aims

• To develop initial strategies when dealing with maths problems
• To develop confidence when dealing with maths problems
• To develop resilience when dealing with maths problems
• To provide a platform on which to build secure problem solving techniques

Who will benefit from attending?

• To develop initial strategies when dealing with maths problems
• To develop confidence when dealing with maths problems
• To develop resilience when dealing with maths problems
• To provide a platform on which to build secure problem solving techniques

Content

The course covers a range of mathematical disciplines. These can include

• Proof
• Equations and inequalities
• Curve sketching
• Coordinate geometry
• Trigonometry
• Vectors
• Sequences and series
• Calculus

Materials and equipment

As some of these classes are being held online, 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 microphone may be sufficient if you’re in a quiet area but please take the time to check this before the session. BBB 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.

Other information

The following problems provide a taste of the sort of problem solving that will be encountered in the classes:

1. Prove that if n is a prime number greater than 5, n⁴ has final digit 1

2. Which of the following statements is correct?

a. The product of a square number and a cube number is always a square number and never a cube number

b. The product of a square number and a cube number is always a cube number and never a square number

c. The product of a square number and a cube number is sometimes a square number and sometimes a cube number

d. The product of a square number and a cube number is never a square number and never a cube number

e. The product of a square number and a cube number is always a cube number and always a square number

Eligibility

Due to our funding arrangements, priority will be given to students from state-funded schools and colleges in England. 

A maximum of 5 places can be applied for by each school/college.

Study schedule

Schedule

Students MUST be free to attend ALL the following sessions:

28.09.24 - F2F @ Westminster City School - Sessions 1 & 2 - 09:30 - 12:55

05.10.24 - Online - Session 3 10:30 - 12:00

12.10.24 - Online - Session 4 10:30 - 12:00

19.10.24 - Online - Session 5 10:30 - 12:00

26.10.24 - Online - Session 6 10:30 - 12:00

09.11.24 - F2F @ Westminster City School - Sessions 7 & 8 - 09:30 - 12:45

Key facts

• Reference:#13525
• Audience:Students
• Target year:Year 13
• Curriculum focus:University admissions tests
• Mathematical focus:Problem solving
• Event format:Blended
• Duration:20 hours
• Study days:2
• Online sessions:4
• Region:London
• Fee:Free