The trailblazing King’s College London Mathematics School – or King’s Maths School to its friends – is the first in a nationwide drive for specialist state maths schools to be set up with the support of top universities. Celebrating remarkable A-level success in 2022, King’s Maths School provides a perfect example of how King’s is reaching beyond campus and developing partnerships to benefit the wider community.

Open since 2014, and supported by generous donors, the school provides high-quality sixth form mathematics education for all in the heart of London. King’s Maths School is truly leading the field.

Set up as an outstanding place to develop the talents of the brightest young people, King’s Maths School welcomes students aged 16 to 19 from all backgrounds who have a particular aptitude and enthusiasm for Mathematics.

• A-level results at the school are among the best in the UK, with the class of 2022 seeing 99.6% attain grade A or better (86.5% of grades were A*s and 75% of students took home straight A*s).
• What’s more, this has – as hoped – resulted in exceptional progression to higher education: 34% of students secured places at Oxford and Cambridge (up from 25% of students in the 2021 cohort, itself unprecedented at the time).
• The remainder have confirmed places at a Sutton Trust 30 or Russell Group university, including at King’s.

King’s Maths School Head Teacher Dan Abramson shares his pride at the success of the class of 2022: ‘This is a cohort who had never before sat public examinations and whose learning was hampered by the pandemic. To see our students achieve these phenomenal outcomes is truly heart-warming.’

Selected as State Sixth Form College of the Year by The Sunday Times 2018 School Guide, King’s Maths School made its debut appearance in The Times’ Parent Power rankings of sixth-form colleges in the same year. In January 2020, the Department for Education confirmed that King’s Maths School’s results were the best of all state-funded and private schools in the country, and, by December 2021, King’s Maths School had been named State Sixth Form College of the Decade by The Sunday Times, with Education Editor Sian Griffiths calling it: ‘An extraordinary school for teenage maths whizzes.’

Bright young King’s

The school’s aim is to invest in the mathematicians and scientists of the future by offering a fully inclusive, transformational education, while preparing pupils for progression onto undergraduate study, research and careers in the mathematical sciences. It strives to widen participation, develop life-changing opportunities and improve mathematical outcomes for disadvantaged and under-represented young people through free attendance and access to funded bursaries. One in three pupils is the first in their family to go to university.

It is fantastic to be in a place where everyone is drawn to Maths and is ready to discuss it.

SHENJUN, KING’S MATHS SCHOOL RECENT GRADUATE

Providing an excellent foundation for going on to read Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, King’s Maths School offers A-levels in Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics. Students also take an AS-level in either Computing, Computer Science or Economics, alongside extracurricular enrichment lessons in code-breaking and robotics, and seminars in writing, research and presentation skills.

Inspiring spaces

Bringing together individuals who are passionate about the logic, language and beauty of Maths, the school benefits from contemporary light-bathed spaces inspired by geometry. Innovations such as social hubs are conducive to learning, with an abundance of whiteboards encouraging problem-solving for fun.

These innovative spaces were of huge benefit to Shenjun, who recently left Year 13 at King’s Maths School to study Computer Science at King’s: ‘It is fantastic to be in a place where everyone is drawn to Maths and is ready to discuss it. The whiteboards in the pods are always filled with problems and attempts at solutions; it set me in the mood for studying. Most importantly, all the teachers in the school are excited about Maths and what they are teaching.’

Partnerships facilitating progression

The innovative work of the school is supported by a number of philanthropic partners. XTX Markets, the world-leading algorithmic trading company, has been inspired by the impact of the school, and has made significant donations to support its work to discover and cultivate mathematically talented students from challenging backgrounds.

XTX Markets’ generous support has allowed King’s Maths School to launch ‘Curriculum X’ (CX), an optional set of courses that introduces Year 13 students at King’s Maths Schools to advanced ideas in the mathematical sciences and is designed to both inspire students and help prepare them for the challenges of tertiary study at the very best universities. In addition, ‘Curriculum +’ (C+) was developed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Year 13 students in their final half term of study. Especially during lockdowns, this scheme enabled students to remain engaged and motivated all the way to the end of the academic year. As with CX, C+ was structured as a set of independent courses, comprising a total of 17 courses focusing on challenge and extension, and humanities, culture and life skills.

We have been fortunate to have partners and sponsors who are deeply aware of our needs and are enthusiastic to support us in achieving our ambitions.

DAN ABRAMSON

Man Group, a technology-empowered active investment management firm, has also partnered with King’s Maths School to help advance the education of the school’s students in line with its vision to diversify the investment management business. This support is helping to develop a network between mathematics schools, attract highly qualified, outstanding teachers and staff, and establish an alumni programme.

Antoine Forterre, Chief Financial Officer for Man Group, said: ‘One of the highlights for Man Group has been mentoring Year 12 students with the King’s Certificate, a research-based collaborative project. Our employees act as mentors and very much enjoy the process. It’s a wonderful way to give back, share experiences and expertise, and help the school’s bright and talented students to grow and develop in different ways.’

King’s Maths School has also received generous support from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and the Worshipful Company of Actuaries.

President & Principal, Professor Shitij Kapur (right) giving a speech at the Sixth Form of the Decade celebration event

A symbiotic relationship

A specialist team of colleagues from the Department of Mathematics at King’s feeds into the curriculum at King’s Maths School, helping to deliver some of the after-school sessions (such as Cryptology). Meanwhile, King’s Maths School and King’s staff work together to lead a range of fair access activities with schools, colleges and teaching staff across London and further afield in the UK. Hearing about their achievements provides valuable inspiration to new and future intakes.

Meanwhile, talented undergraduate and postgraduate King’s students contribute to outreach work, such as The King’s Factor, a free programme that allows Year 12 and Year 13 students to build their mathematical skills in a supportive environment. Some are themselves former King’s Maths School pupils, so they naturally have a special connection with the school and serve as role models. This close collaboration deepens connections with the communities in our home boroughs of Westminster, Southwark and Lambeth, where King’s Maths School is located.

On mentoring Year 12 students:

It’s a wonderful way to give back, share experiences and expertise, and help the school’s bright and talented students to grow and develop in different ways.

ANTOINE FORTERRE, MAN GROUP

It takes a village

Not surprisingly, competition for admissions at King’s Maths School continues to soar, with over 10 times as many applications as the 70 places available for the September 2022 intake. This success is thanks to the strong links between the school and King’s, the dedication of the students, and the strong alliances with the partners who support the school’s mission. But we can’t stop there. Future plans include increasing student numbers by 50%, so the school needs more space to grow – and this will only be possible with more investment. To be the best, there is no time for standing still, and we are so grateful to those who have joined us on this journey so far.

Meet the alumni

Lauren’s story (Physics, 2021)

King’s Maths School gave me the experience of being surrounded by others who enjoyed maths, physics and computing. We could support each other in our interests and work. There was a focus on collaboration to spend time working out complicated mathematics. The school provides the perfect balance

between secondary school and university with the workload and support that it offers.

Going to sixth form at King’s Maths School meant that I had a link to King’s, and the cliché of “I’ve always loved physics” holds true for me. During primary school I enjoyed science and maths, and when the subjects split into Biology, Chemistry and Physics during secondary school, my love of science and mathematics cumulated with an enjoyment of physics specifically. I wanted to find out why the world works the way it does, both in subatomic physics and in astrophysics. I am currently doing a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a focus on silicon membranes and the effect of using a focused ion beam on them. The membranes experience strain because of the beam ions being implanted into the target. This causes interesting effects, which can be used in optoelectronic energy devices (such as lasers and LED lights).

I am so very proud to say that I went to King’s Maths School for sixth form, and this has been the case since my first day there. All the teachers, both old and new, try their best to support every student that crosses the threshold, and it shows from all the acclaim that King’s Maths School has received.

I still try to give back. I help to run the LinkedIn group for alumni and staff. I have helped with PHYSICS+ that King’s Maths School runs for Year 11 students and have put my name forward to take part in the buddy system for King’s Maths School students and alumni, as well as to give talks to students.

Nada’s story, currently studying MSc Mathematics

The King’s Maths School curriculum is unique in many aspects, but the elements which had the most direct impact on my transition to university were the small group problem-solving classes and the King’s Certificate research project (a group-based research project designed by industry experts)

. I also found that the community spirit encouraged lots of discussion and conversation, which is a crucial part of succeeding in learning Mathematics.

Choosing the right university can sometimes feel like a daunting task. What made King’s really stand out was the sense of community and the approachability of lecturers during my visits. Of course, it’s not easy to gauge this from one open day visit, but I’m glad to say that I was correct and have absolutely made the right choice!

I will soon be in the final year of an integrated master’s in Mathematics and I have really enjoyed my time at King’s so far. Highlights include my third-year project, which I completed on the topic of Quadratic Forms. It was the first time I could study a topic independently and work with a supervisor. This is where King’s Maths School has definitely prepared me better than any other school would have. It meant that I was already confident using LaTeX and was aware of various research and organisation strategies that made it easier to delve straight into the mathematics when I started the project.

I’m lucky to have had the incredible opportunity to attend King’s Maths School. I came from a secondary school where mathematics was a small part of the curriculum, and I always felt like I needed more. I hope that in the future we have more schools, whether specialist or not, delivering such a high standard of education.

For me, it was incredibly important.

Fahim’s story (MSc Computer Science, 2022)

King’s Maths School set me up for university study by helping me tackle difficult mathematical problems with weekly problem-solving and extension classes. We also attempted Oxbridge entrance exam problems. The school helped me develop a way of thinking that I definitely would not have

experienced with a normal curriculum. Attending university open days and weekly keynote talks made me aware of the available career paths and kept me enthusiastic about university and work life. Not only that, but personal development classes gave me better self-awareness and helped prepare me for the challenges of living at university.

At King’s Maths School, I quickly realised how supportive and encouraging my teachers and peers were. The accolades inspired me to work harder. The school motivated me to always try to achieve more than the minimum and push for the ceiling, both academically and in the extracurricular.

I graduated from King’s with an integrated master’s in Computer Science and recently started working as a Cyber Security Consultant at Atkins, an engineering and design company. My time at university was great as I connected and socialised with people from all over the world.  Participating in and volunteering at King’s helped me expand my social network and gave me other transferable skills.

Although it was not there when I attended, the potential impact of the King’s Maths School alumni network is astounding. The range of career paths available from a mathematics school and the wealth of knowledge is overwhelming. Keeping up to date with other alumni using this network and the newsletter always makes me excited to see everyone at the yearly reunion.

Find out more about King’s College London’s
Mathematics School here: www.kingsmathsschool.com