Teach Secondary Issue 14.3

There is a time to panic, and a time to not panic. My first reaction upon being asked to review this Edexcel Level 2 Extended Maths Certificate Study and Practice book was to panic. I haven’t looked at KS4 maths for decades. Literally. For the history buffs amongst you, it was still called ‘O Level’ back then. I had no idea what a Level 2 Extended Maths Certificate even was – though my ignorance was somewhat justified after discovering this is a new qualification only introduced last year, the first exams for which are due to be held this coming summer. To the uninitiated, the Level 2 Extended Maths Certificate is designed to provide extra stretch and challenge for high- achieving GCSE students. The fact that it’s so new raises some questions, however – chief among them, what support is there for students looking to practice and revise in the run-up to exam day? The answer lies in this study and practice book from Collins. It’s like a state-of-the-art, no-nonsense multigym for your maths muscles. Suitable for use as both a class text and self-study resource, it’s packed full of key points and worked examples. It’s also refreshingly direct and to-the- point. Once I’d managed to dust down my ‘maths brain’ and fire it up, I could instantly see how it would help me zero in on the relevant topics and take in some clear examples, without having to wade through A comprehensive workbook for this new qualification aimed at high-achieving GCSE students. A T A G L ANCE MATHS • Designed for use as both a class text and a self-study resource • Packed full of key points and worked examples • Complete curriculum coverage • Written by experienced maths education specialists £16.99 RRP | collins.co.uk Concise and to the point Well organised and signposted Clear and comprehensive Differentiated questions Versatile and invaluable … you want efficient, effective teaching and revision support for this new maths qualification. V E RD I C T UPGRADE I F . . . REVIEWED BY: MIKE DAVIES Edexcel Level 2 Extended Maths Certificate – Study and Practice dense text and pretty pictures. So don’t expect much in the way of frills, but I doubt the students it’s intended for would want any. The clean, simple layout instead connects you to everything you need with admirably clear signposting. Each section starts with a summary of what will be demonstrated and some key vocabulary. All explanations and examples are accompanied by handy hints and tips for answering relevant questions. There then follow plenty of exercise questions with which to practice and apply what’s been learnt. All exercises are graded through four levels – from Pass to Distinction* – enabling students to easily tell precisely what level they’re working at and what they could be targeting. Each chapter concludes with a set of exam- style questions, so that students can familiarise themselves with the sort of challenges they can expect be faced with in the exam hall. The answers can all be found at the back, as you might expect, but given the quality of the explanations, I’d have every confidence that the students using this book will get the questions right without peeking. After working their way through this book, or using it to focus on revising topics they’ve perhaps struggled with, students should be able to face their Level 2 Extended Maths Certificate exams with confidence – no panicking required. R E V I E W 81 teachwire.net/secondary