Applied maths course set to subtract stress
Many people find when it comes to mortgages or tax their classroom maths skills don’t add up.
One Horsham college has been tackling the issue head on as its new financial maths class aims to subtract the stress from real world number crunching.
Collyer’s principal, Sally Bromley has presented some of its students with the Collyer’s certificate in financial maths after they successfully completed the applied maths based course.
Joel Hofmann, maths teacher and course creator, said: “This has been a really useful and practical course for our students.
“It has taught them important life skills and helped them to see how maths can be used in the real world.
“Several students have already told me how the course has helped them to manage their finances and prepare for life after college.”
The certificate covers a range of important and relevant topics involving real world mathematics. Students learnt about calculating tax and national insurance contributions – vital for any students considering running a business or being selfemployed later in life.
They also learnt how mortgage repayments were calculated, what expenses are involved in renting a property and how to determine which savings account would be best for their needs.
Students studied how to manage their financial health, what factors should be considered when thinking about a loan or finance plan and how to budget.
Hannah Page, head of maths added: “Making links between the mathematics students are learning and the practical applications in the world around us has always been a key principle in our teaching.
“This course has helped us to make these connections even clearer.”
The course ran over six weeks, and at the end students had to provide a portfolio of work and sit a timed exam to demonstrate their understanding.
Each of the problems in the portfolio and questions in the exam were set around real life situations, such as a working family trying to budget for a holiday while managing other expenses.
Sally Bromley said: “These talented students and their teachers have worked really hard to be successful
“Congratulations to everyone involved and a particular thank-you to Joel Hoffman for his hard work.”