The Maths Excellence Fund exists to help more students join and stay on the maths excellence pathway.
The Fund has been established to improve student attainment and progression in maths, increasing the number of students who are on track to succeed in A-level maths and beyond. It has a particular focus on high potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds, for whom studying maths can unlock significant opportunities.
The Fund is supporting programmes that will be led by schools, universities and charities. Each programme will be independently evaluated to better understand which activities might improve student attainment and progress in maths, and to replicate best practice models.
About us
The Maths Excellence Fund was launched in June 2023 by its founding donors, XTX Markets and The Hg Foundation. The Fund is being overseen by Purposeful Ventures, which will administer the grants, and manage the delivery and evaluation of programmes.
The Fund was launched following the publication of Maths Excellence Pathways, a research report by the University of Nottingham and XTX Markets. The report highlights some of the key challenges in supporting students to join and stay on the maths excellence pathway, especially students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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First Funding Round
The first funding round was launched in July 2023. The Fund received over 50 expressions of interest from schools, universities and charities. Following a multi-stage selection process, grants totalling £7.0mn were awarded to four programmes, each of which will provide wide-ranging support to a group of schools in a different region of England.
Programme delivery will begin in schools in September 2024 and is expected to run for five academic years. Each programme will be independently evaluated, with an interim evaluation expected in 2026 and a final evaluation expected in 2029. The Fund also intends to share on-going progress updates.
The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has been appointed to independently evaluate the programmes. NFER will undertake an implementation and process evaluation of each programme over the first two years of delivery. This interim evaluation will explore how the programmes are working in practice, as well as collecting views from students, teachers and students. NFER is expected to report in 2026.
The four delivery partners are:
Inspiration Trust
Inspiration Trust will receive £1,980,000 to support 12 schools in East Anglia, including five of its own schools and seven others. The programme will include a range of enrichment activities and tutoring support delivered in schools and the wider community, including through a partnership with the University of East Anglia.
Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI)
MEI will receive £2,160,000 to support 10 schools in Birmingham. The programme will develop maths leadership and teaching capacity, and provide a series of student interventions, including tutoring. The programme will be co-ordinated by a Maths Progression Lead in each school.
Co-op Academies Trust
Co-op Academies Trust will receive £960,000 to support 12 of its schools in the North of England. Co-op Academies will employ maths graduates as Maths Excellence Tutors in a dual academic and pastoral role. The programme will also include training and support for maths teachers, additional maths qualifications for students and the expanded use of technology.
United Learning
United Learning will receive £1,900,000 to support 14 of its schools in five clusters across England. The programme will include an enriched maths curriculum, targeted interventions for students and support for parents. The programme will be co-ordinated by a Leader of Maths Excellence in each school.
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Team
The Fund is being overseen by Purposeful Ventures, with support from an Advisory Board comprising education sector experts:
Professor Andrew Noyes (Professor of Education, University of Nottingham)
Professor Becky Francis CBE (CEO, Education Endowment Foundation)
James Turner (CEO, The Hg Foundation)
Lynne McClure OBE (Head of Mathematics Solutions, Cambridge Press and Assessment)
Simon Coyle (Head of Philanthropy, XTX Markets)
For further information please contact: MathsExcellence@purposefulventures.org
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