Specialist maths school to open in Liverpool

Sixth-form school in Liverpool will give 80 talented pupils a year the chance to study maths at an advanced level

By Helen Ward 

04 July 2018

The third specialist maths school, and the first in the North of England, is set to open in 2020, the government announced today.

The University of Liverpool Mathematics College will take in 80 A-level pupils to study subjects such as maths, further maths, computing and physics.

It follows the success of similar sixth-form schools opened by King’s College London and the University of Exeter.

“The University of Liverpool Mathematics College will be a hub for the most able young mathematicians in the Liverpool city region so they can develop their knowledge and skills through the study of maths and related subjects,” Professor Dame Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of Liverpool University, said.

The college will also work in partnership with local schools to boost maths standards across the region and will provide professional development programmes for maths teachers throughout the region.

'The mathematicians of tomorrow'

The government has called on the most selective maths universities in the country to consider opening a maths school. Maths schools provide students with a stretching maths curriculum, as well as excellent mentoring and careers guidance by specialists at the university. They get an additional £350,000 to support outreach work with a focus on students from disadvantaged backgrounds and girls.

But some maths educators have questioned the initiative, saying that a focus on specialist schools risks widening the divide between rich and poor standards in maths teaching.

Lord Agnew, schools minister, said: “I am pleased that the University of Liverpool has risen to the challenge to give the mathematicians of tomorrow an opportunity to take their talents to the next level.

“As we move forward, we want more leading universities to open maths schools and offer broader outreach in their region.”

Liz Truss, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “We know fewer students in the North of England study maths compared with the South, and we want to change this. That is why we introduced the maths pupil premium, to help more students study maths for longer and put them in a great position to take up skilled jobs.”