Mathematics Department
Mathematics at Rutherford College is offered at all year levels from Year 9 to Year 13. It is compulsory from Year 9 to Year 11 and then optional at Year 12 and 13.
Students are encouraged, at all year levels, to be involved in a range of national and international mathematics competitions that are organised through the school. These include Mathex, the Australian Mathematics Competition and ICAS Mathematics Competition.
Tutorials are run after school weekly to help support and extend any students who need it.
Year 9 and 10
All classes cover the six main topics covered by the New Zealand curriculum: Numbers, Algrebra, Measurement, Geometry (which includes Phythagoras and Trigonometry), Statistics and Probabilty. Each topic is assessed by a standards based End of Topic test. Three topics are also assessed as part of an End of Year exam. This is designed to help prepare students for NCEA in Year 11.
Year 11
Students are placed into one of three courses: 11 MAT (Mathematics), 11 MAI (Mathematics Internal) or 11 MAC (Mathematics Combined). The first two courses offer a range of NCEA achievement statndards (both external and internal). The third course offers a mix of achievement standards and numeracy unit standards.
Year 12
Courses follow a similar format, with students chossing from 12 MAT, 12 MAI or 12 MAC. The 12 MAT course is designed to allow students to progress to either Calculus or Statistics in Year 13. The MAI course allows students to progress to Statistics in Year 13. 12 MAC offers a combination of Level 1 and Level 2 achievement standards.
Year 13
Students can choose 13 CAL (Calculus) and/or 13 STA (Statistics). Both of these courses are designed to lead on to tertiary study.
Scholarship
Year 12 and 13 students can also choose to sit the more challenging Scholarship exams in Statistics and/or Calculus. Tutorials are run to help them prepare for these exams.
