How are other school planning to use the new FP1?

The idea is presumably that, in Y12, Further Maths students take C1 C2 and S1 (say) for AS Maths, and FP1, M1 D1 for AS Further Maths, which sounds fine but I am concerned about the effect on the Y13 course.

That system would mean that in Y13 FM students would have to do C3 C4 FP2 FP3 plus applications unit, which seems a lot of very substantial maths in a short spalce of time. It concerns me that our serious mathematicians would not meet any substantial trigonometry or calculus until Y13.

Because of this we are planning to offer our Further Mathematicians, in Y12, C1 C2 C3, giving them an AS in Pure Maths, as well as FP1, S1, M1 for AS FM. This then means that they will have some more 'meaty' maths in Y12 and that in Y13 they will do C4 FP2 FP3 and 3 applications units, giving them A level Maths and A-level Further Maths.

Comments welcome!

Caroline 

I personally think the new Further Maths specification is a huge step backwards. God knows what the consultation proccess was with teachers in the classroom, probably none at all.

First point is that the perfectly good Heinemann FP1~3 books are completely screwed. What about the cost here?

Second point is having built up a sizeable and useful collection of past papers and mark schemes we have to start from scratch all over again. A few years of cutting and pasting lie ahead. Brilliant!

Third point is that differential equations on the old FP1 played a significant part in M3. Now they have been shunted into FP2. When will M3 ever get started?

Watching Mr K Pledger on his DVD waffling on about accessablity you knew this was dreamed up by those at High Holborn looking for something to do.

For the record on the old system we broke down the Further Maths as:

Yr 12 Term 1 C1 M1 S1 Term 2/3 C2 (C3) M2 S2   Yr 13 Term 1 (C3) C4 FP1 D1 Term 2/3 FP2 FP3 M3 (I know this is 13 modules but it gives an opportunity to discard a weaker module)

Under the new system we will probably go with

Yr 12 The same as above Yr 13 Term 1 (C3) C4 FP1 FP2 Term 2/3 D1 M3 FP3 this means a major term in Yr 13 doing nothing but Pure Maths. They would have probably forgot all about Mechanics by the time they bump into it again.

You can put your mortgage on more changes coming a couple of years down the line

We're still considering the best approach to using the new units.

Currently, we do Y12 C1-4 (FP1) and M1, S1 with other sets; Y13 (FP1), FP2+3, M2, S2 and one other (usually M3 or S3).

We're also concerned about the Pure. We could put the Y12 FM students in with other sets for C1-2, S1 and set them separately for FP1, M1, C3 (C4) then in Y13, (C4), FP2-3, M2-3, S2 (or D1). Problem is how to get C3 done if C2 isn't finished.

Doing Y12 C1-2, S1 and FP1, M1-2 (C3) seems even worse, since it leaves (C3), C4, FP2-3, M3, S2 for Y13.

Any other ideas?