Maths Boost for Region as University to Open Specialist Maths School
The University of Liverpool will establish a specialist maths school which will provide world-leading maths education for young people from all backgrounds who have a passion for mathematics.
The University of Liverpool Mathematics School (ULMS) is set to become the first of its kind in the North of England.
Due to open in 2020, at a location close to the University campus, the ULMS will welcome up to 80 pupils per year when fully operational to study Maths, Further Maths and Physics A Levels with other subjects like Computer Science and Music under consideration.
The ULMS will work in partnership with local schools to raise aspirations and attainment levels in mathematics across the region. It will provide professional development programmes for maths teachers throughout the region working alongside other schools, colleges and organisations.
It will benefit from the close association with the University, and pupils will have the opportunity to boost their skills and learn from staff and students in the University’s Department of Mathematical Sciences.
The ULMS will also seek to address the gender imbalance that exists in the study of further mathematics and will work with employers in the region to establish partnerships, giving pupils the chance to gain business experience and the opportunity to see how their skills will support their career choices moving forward.
Professor Dame Janet Beer, Vice Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said:
“The University of Liverpool Mathematics School 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. In today’s global economy, it is essential that we develop the potential of our most talented maths students and this initiative is a much needed response to that challenge.”
Maths is one of the most in-demand skills in the labour market and the Royal Society has outlined maths as the key skill required by employers by 2030. It is also already the most popular subject at A level, with almost over 84,000 pupils choosing to study it. This is an increase of 20 per cent since 2010. The government, through its Industrial Strategy, aims to increase the number of young people studying maths, helping them to secure good jobs and boosting the UK economy.