Support for schools

Our maths problem-solving sessions are designed to give students the confidence to apply for university courses that require, or take into consideration, achievement in an admissions test.

The courses look at past exam materials from MAT/TMUA/STEP papers and will identify ways to tackle in-depth maths problems. It will also help students develop their own problem solving skills in mathematics to gain confidence.

There are two main courses for Year 13 students:

• MAT/TMUA 1 day preparation course – A one day course usually ran on a Saturday in October to help students prepare for MAT or TMUA (particularly useful for students applying to Oxford University).
• STEP Preparation Course – a 10 week course ran bi-weekly in the Spring term to help students prepare for the STEP exams in the summer. Each session lasts three hours and run after school on Wednesdays.

Course fees

There is small charge of £30 to cover materials and refreshments. Funding is available to cover these costs if your school is eligible for a subsidy. Please get in touch to find out more

There are two ways in which sixth formers can help develop their problem solving skills in A-level Maths.

Problem Solving Course

Similar to the STEP preparation course but with less emphasis on preparing for the STEP exam and more general maths questions and problems. 

Ideal for YEAR 12 students or students who are not yet sure if they are required to take MAT/STEP.

Problem Solving Conference

A one-day conference for KS5 students and their maths teachers to develop deeper mathematical problem-solving skills.

Students and teachers will take part in a number of fun interactive sessions testing and developing their mathematical skills.

Course fees

There is no charge for the Sixth Form Conference. There is small charge of £30 to cover materials and refreshments in the Problem Solving Course.

Funding is available to cover these costs if your school is eligible for a subsidy. Please get in touch to find out more.

We visit schools in the East Midlands to give talks and workshops to promote further maths A level and maths at degree level.

Our talks include:

• Solving the Rubik’s Cube
• Gambling with Maths
• Power of Two (binary numbers)
• The Maths of Paper Folding
• Modulo Arithmetic
• The Beauty of Maths (Golden Ratio and Fibonacci numbers)
• Investigating Pascal’s Triangle
• Why take a maths-rich degree?

The School of Mathematical Sciences are involved in a number of events to support mathematics in the East Midlands.

UKMT Senior Team Maths Challenge (STMC)

The STMC is for students in years 11, 12 and 13 testing mathematical, communication and teamwork skills.

Each team must consist of four Year 11, 12 or 13 (or equivalent) students with no more than two students from Year 13.

Year 10 Maths Fest

Teams of four Year 10 students are invited to take part in this fun and engaging maths 1-day experience.

You take part in a number of rounds, for which there will be individual prizes awarded in various categories.

KS4 Problem solving ½ day event

This half day event will be suitable for Year 10 students who are aiming for a level 7 (or above) in GCSE Mathematics.

The morning will consist of a series of workshops/sessions where students (in teams of 4) explore various aspects of problem-solving skills.

Activities include working on problems in groups and individually, and writing and communicating solutions.

Celebrating Women in Maths conference

This event is suited to any bright young mathematicians at KS4. A range of female presenters will host a carousel of fun maths workshops to showcase and celebrate women in mathematics.

The event is free and open to all KS4 students.

Maths at Work conference

This conference is open to KS4 students and their teachers to provide an opportunity to discover how maths is relevant outside of the classroom.

This full day event will include three interactive workshop sessions with presenters from leading industries in and around the East Midlands and an inspirational and engaging talk from a guest speaker.

Core Maths Conference

This free event is open to Year 10 Students and their teachers and aims to showcase how maths skills are vital to a range of employment sectors and higher education courses.

Students will have the opportunity to see practical problems in context through workshops hosted by a variety of local and national employers and will learn how a Level 3 qualification in Core Maths can support their career choices and enhance their employability skills