Imperial College Maths Summer School

Established in reaction to evidence of a decline in young people from non-privileged homes choosing to study mathematics in further and higher education, the Sutton Trust and Arcadia have been funding the Imperial College Maths summer school since 2006.

The programme is designed for Year 10 and 11 students in state schools who take part in a range of mathematical investigations at the university, giving them the opportunity to improve their GCSE knowledge, as well as to better understand the role of maths in society, the routes to mathematics and related degrees, and the careers these subjects can lead to.  Each year Imperial devises an exciting themed series of mathematical activities, master classes, hands-on computer sessions and on- and off-site visits which are used to engage those taking part and build their confidence in the subject.   

As will all our initiatives, the project has a particular focus on those from non-privileged backgrounds who may be less likely to consider both the subject and studying at an elite university, such as Imperial.  The fourth Institute for Mathematical Sciences outreach summer school was held in July 2009, and proved to be successful in recruiting such students, with 70 percent of beneficiaries coming from backgrounds with no history of university-level study, and many also coming from schools serving areas of deprivation.