As part of the Maths Hub programme for North West London schools, the Maths Department at St Dominic’s hosted a three day Summer School for students who had just finished their GCSE exams. Word had obviously spread following the tremendous success of last year, as even more students were eager for some expert maths tuition and to sample college life at St Dominic’s. Most were from local schools, particularly Sacred Heart and Salvatorian College, but some came from further afield, including one student from St Philomena’s School in Surrey.

The group of 31 students first took part in some fantastic teambuilding and sporting activities to get to know each other and to get their minds primed for the maths ahead.  Our aim was to bridge the learning gap between GCSE and A-level mathematics, whilst making the lessons as interactive and fun as possible. Split into two classes, the students were supported in each session by two maths teachers and a number of current first year mathematicians who had volunteered to help.

The students all rose to the challenge! They fully immersed themselves into the activities, constantly assisting and encouraging each other throughout the three days.  As a result, they were able to both deepen their understanding of GCSE topics and gain insights into new, interesting areas of A-level maths, such as Mechanics.

A highlight for many members of the group were the brand new Casio fx-CG50 graphics calculators.  After an introductory session on the first day, they were then put to good use in many subsequent lessons, particularly when sketching and transforming graphs.  Many students commented on how the calculators “brought the maths alive” and could see how beneficial they would be in their future studies.

It was evident from the comments below that all the students really enjoyed the Summer School and greatly valued the maths they had learnt. After another successful event this year, we’re all looking forward to the next one.

Bring on Maths Summer School 2018!  

“I am now more ready for A-level maths.”

“The work was approachable, yet challenging.”

“The teachers helped you to understand the purpose of each section in depth, whilst being friendly and enthusiastic.”

“The graphics calculators added a new level to the maths.”

“I enjoyed the atmosphere of the college – they are very welcoming!”