GCSE Statistics Years 10 & 11
Course Leader: Mr Mills
Contact Email: bmills@tgschool.net
Examination Board: Edexcel
Assessment: 100% examination
Why should I study this subject at Key Stage 4?
Statistics provide efficient and precise ways of describing real world phenomena resulting from the collection of “good data”. The processes of collecting, organising, analysing, interpreting, and most importantly presentation of results provide organisations the information to “do what they do” efficiently and effectively.
What does the course involve?
The age of statistics is upon us. Statistics are being collected and used at an increasing rate in business, politics and science. In the real world we are constantly bombarded through the media with graphs, economic data such as retail price index (RPI) and various other statistical statements.
You will need very little previous statistical knowledge to be able to take this course. In Key Stage 3 you will already have covered some data-handling work in maths lessons, which will be repeated at the beginning of this course.
Foundation students need to have a basic understanding of accuracy, fractions, decimals and percentages. Whereas Higher-level students need, in addition, to be familiar with the equation of a straight line and have a basic understanding of the shapes of exponential curves. In this course, you will learn:
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how to collect, summarise and represent unbiased data
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the skills necessary to read, analyse and interpret data and various diagrams and statistical statements accurately
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to develop your ability to reason and discuss results
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how to predict what will happen in the future by making forecasts based on statistical results and considering the probability of something happening.
Skills developed
By the end of the course you will be able to plan an investigation, collect and analyse data and how to interpret the meaning of your results. This would be very useful for a range of careers and further study at age 16 e.g. Actuary, Accountancy, Computer Programming, Environmental Scientists, Forensics, Pharmaceuticals, Psychology and Insurance to name a few. This course will also support your learning towards your Mathematics GCSE.
Studying Mathematics at Sixth Form
Students can continue to study both Mathematics and Further Mathematics as an A Level here at Thomas Gainsborough School.
Extra Curriculuar
Some of our enrichment offers additional academic support for students in maths. As students progress into KS4 there are intervention sessions on offer to support them with their progress and revision for GCSE.
