Two-hundred schools with low rates of “bright” girls going on to study advanced maths will get support under a refreshed government scheme.
Schools Week reported in January how the Labour government had cut elements of its Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP). It was designed to increase uptake and improve teaching of maths at AS and A-level in disadvantaged areas.
The government has today announced a reworked £8.2 million scheme that will “continue to provide the most impact for pupils by preparing them for the skills needs of the future”.
Two hundred schools with low rates of high-attaining girls going on to study advanced maths will now be eligible for support under a new element of the scheme.
Currently only one-third of A-level maths pupils are girls, and only 22 per cent of people working in AI-related roles like software engineer or data science are women, government said.
Around 7,500 girls would be eligible for support, a press release said, but did not provide any further details.
Schools eligible for support will be contacted by Mathematics Education Innovation (MEI), a charity which runs the scheme, Schools Week was told.
The programme will also support “thousands” of pupils from 400 disadvantaged secondary schools go on to study core maths and A-level maths and further maths.
‘Pilot teacher training’
The new scheme also includes “pilot teacher training and student enrichment courses on the key maths concepts and skills needed for AI”, which will “benefit” 450 students and 360 teachers from September.
Again, no further details on this were provided. But government said the plan was a “crucial step in delivering a key commitment in the government’s AI action plan – creating a strong talent pipeline and driving greater diversity across the AI talent pool”.
Government said the overall funding package is the same as before.
However, the maths charity XTX Markets is now funding an element of the scheme that provided support to help disadvantaged pupils prepare for university tests. It is believed the charity is providing £500,000 for this, which will reach 4,000 pupils.
Writing for Schools Week in March, XTX’s head of philanthropy Si Coyle said: “Boosting progression to maths degrees should be a crucial part of the government’s AI strategy, and supporting high-attaining students is not at odds with its opportunity mission.”
The decision to cut funding last year for the wider advanced maths scheme was slammed as “short-sighted”.
It came in the same week the chancellor pledged to “kickstart” the UK economy with the UK at the “forefront of some of the most exciting developments in the world like artificial intelligence and life sciences”.
Programme has reached over 400 schools a year
As of 2024, AMSP has reached more than 2,500 schools and colleges since its launch in 2018 – an average of just over 400 schools per year.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson, said: “Today’s brightest maths minds are tomorrow’s AI pioneers, and this government is opening the door for groups who have so far been left behind in the AI revolution.”
Science secretary Peter Kyle, reported by the Sunday Times to be a frontrunner to replace Philipson should she lose her job in an upcoming reshuffle, added: “This package of support will help us deliver our Plan for Change and do exactly that. This is the first step in our plan to give every young person in the country the opportunity to develop the tools which will put them front and centre in delivering our AI-powered future.”
Maths remains the most popular A-level, with almost 100,000 entries. It was studied by a third of A-level students last year.
But just 37 per cent of A-level maths students were female last year – down from nearly 39 per cent in 2019.
New AI taskforce launched
The DfE has also launched an expert panel to advise on what changes are needed to the education system to improve digital skills, including in AI.
The Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group chaired by Sir Kevan Collins, non-executive board member at the DfE, will provide expert recommendations to the department and insights for the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
The members are:
- Kristopher Boulton, CEO of Unstoppable Learning
- Beverly Clarke MBE, CEO of Technology Books for Children
- Nick Kind, Managing Director at Tyton Partners
- Lynette Leith OBE, Deputy CEO and Curriculum Lead at Hull College
- Professor Rose Luckin, Professor of Learner Centred Design at University College London Knowledge Lab
- Lynne McClure OBE, Chair of the Education sub-committee of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences
- John Roberts, interim CEO of Oak National Academy
- Dr Sue Sentance, Director of the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre at the University of Cambridge and Chair of the BCS Schools and Colleges Committee
- Cheryl Shirley, Director of Digital Learning at LEO Academy Trust
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