Digital Education Resource Archive

Holt-White, Eric

Carl, Cullinane

Montacute, Rebecca

The Opportunity Index : The geography of opportunity and social mobility in England

Burnett, Hannah

Lewis, Joe

Maisuria, Alpesh

Roberts, Nerys

  1 Background 2 2 Parliamentary materials 6 3 Press and stakeholder materials 9 4 Press releases and government publications 11 Summary A debate is taking place in Westminster Hall on Thursday 5 June 2025, on the contribution of maths to the UK. The debate is being led by Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat, St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire).    Debate Pack 4 June 2025 Number CDP-0109 (2025)  By Hannah Burnett, Joe Lewis, Alpesh Maisuria, Nerys Roberts The contribution of maths to the UK     The contribution of maths to the UK 2 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 1 Background 1.1 Maths education Education is devolved in the UK.  The approach of the previous Conservative government to supporting maths provision in education up to age 18 is covered in the Commons Library research briefing 'Maths to 18' in England. Some of these policies, for example the Advanced British Standard, which would have seen all students study some level of maths at age 16 to 18, have been dropped by the current Labour government. Schools In July 2014, Maths Hubs were launched across England by the Coalition Government. The current network of 40 Maths Hubs supports all state-funded schools and colleges to improve maths education. It is coordinated by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. The approach to maths across Maths Hubs is ‘teaching for mastery’. There are several principles that underpin this approach, including ensuring teachers can continually develop their specialist knowledge for teaching maths and designing a curriculum with coherent and detailed content that supports sustained progression over time. Maths attainment In summer 2024, 73% of pupils at the end of primary education in England (key stage two) met the government’s expected standard in maths – the same proportion as in the previous year. However, pupils who were eligible for pupil premium funding (disadvantaged pupils) were less likely to meet the expected standard (59%) than their non-disadvantaged peers (79%).1  At GCSE level, in summer 2024, 65% of all pupils achieved a standard pass (grade 4 or above) in English and Maths. Again, disadvantaged pupils were less likely to meet this threshold (43%) than their non-disadvantaged peers (73%).2   1  Department for Education, Academic year 2023/24, Key stage 2 attainment, 27 February 2025, custom table 2  Department for Education, Academic year 2023/24, Key stage 4 performance 27 February 2025, custom table     The contribution of maths to the UK 3 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 Further education Current post-16 options for studying maths in England include: • A Levels in maths, further maths, and statistics • Core maths qualifications, which are level 3 courses equivalent to an AS Level. They are studied alongside other level 3 qualifications and are designed to prepare students for the mathematical demands of university study, employment, and life by strengthening students’ existing skills with a focus on using and applying maths.  • International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) maths certificate Maths has been the most popular A Level subject for several years. In summer 2024, there were around 100,000 entries for A Level maths and just over 17,000 for further maths in England, across all types of schools and colleges. Entries in maths A Level made up 12.2% of all A Level entries (11.3% in 2023). Both maths and further maths are majority male entry subjects – only 37% of maths A Level entries, and 27% of further maths entries were from females.3  Government policy in England requires full-time students aged 16 to 18 who have not achieved grade 4 or higher in GCSE Mathematics to continue studying the subject. This is a condition of school and college funding for students aged 16 to 19. As an alternative to resitting GCSE maths, or alongside an apprenticeship, some pupils will take a functional maths qualification, which aims to teach the numeracy skills needed in daily life and the workplace. The advanced mathematics support programme (AMSP) provides resources and support to improve the teaching of post-16 maths and increase participation among under-represented groups, especially female pupils. Since the 2024/25 academic year, there has been a core maths premium of £900 to support participation in programmes with core mathematics qualifications. Schools and colleges may also receive the advanced maths premium for students undertaking an A Level in maths or other eligible level 3 qualification. The Multiply programme was a £560 million initiative that ran from 2022 to 2025. It offered free numeracy courses to adults over the age of 19 who didn’t have a grade four or above in GCSE maths. Its aim was to improve functional maths skills for daily life, home, and work. The programme officially closed on 31 March 2025.  3  Joint Council for Qualifications, GCE AS and A Level Results Summer 2024, Thursday 15 August 2024, published 15 August 2024, p17     The contribution of maths to the UK 4 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 Higher education A report on maths in UK higher education, published in 2024 for the London Mathematical Society (PDF), found:  • The proportion of total first-year first-degree enrolments in maths fell from 34 in every 1,000 full-time equivalent first-degree students in 2012/13 to 29 in every 1,000 by 2021/22. • There has been a “striking shift” of maths first-degree first-year enrolments towards high tariff universities, which require a high number of UCAS points for entry, and away from low and medium tariff institutions. In 2021/22, 58% of maths first-year undergraduate enrolments were in the research-intensive Russell Group universities. This contrasts with the distribution of students across all subjects, where the majority are in post-1992 universities. • Relative to the overall higher education market, maths students are more likely to be men, of Chinese and Indian ethnicity, younger in age, and from advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Higher education providers are independent, autonomous institutions free to determine which courses they run and how they are taught. In 2023/24, there were just over 45,000 students enrolled on mathematical sciences courses in the UK. There were a further 436,000 students enrolled on courses related to maths, including computing (192,140), engineering and technology (179,015), and physical sciences (65,100).4 Higher education students training to be teachers in England can choose to specialise in maths teaching, which may make them eligible for bursaries and scholarships in addition to the standard student support available. For 2025 to 2026, the Department for Education is offering: • A bursary of £29,000 or scholarship of £31,000 for postgraduate courses in maths. Scholarships have additional benefits and are awarded based on merit.  • A bursary of £9,000 for undergraduate courses in secondary maths. UKRI’s Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council funding is between £25-30million per annum per annum for grants, fellowships, and studentships for mathematical sciences.   4  Higher Education Statistics Authority, What do HE students study?, 3 April 2025     The contribution of maths to the UK 5 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 1.2 Campaigning and commentary on mathematics Value of maths to the UK economy In October 2024, the Academy of Mathematical Sciences estimated that mathematical sciences contributed £495 billion to the UK economy in 2023—about 20% of the total UK Gross Value Added (GVA). Campaign for Mathematical Sciences The Campaign for Mathematical Sciences (CaMS), which is managed by the London Mathematical Society, “aims to advance the mathematical sciences for discovery, innovation and the economy… by supporting engagement and providing specialist advice in maths policy.” The campaign has argued that advanced maths skills boost productivity and command a significant wage premium. It has called for the government to adopt a five-step plan to maximise the value maths skills bring to the UK: • Create a National Mathematics Strategy to boost UK leadership across teaching, research, and innovation. • Increase mathematical sciences research funding to support early/mid-career researchers and grow the talent pipeline. • Support universities to prioritise maths teaching, preventing course closures and ensuring widespread provision. • Invest in recruiting and retaining maths teachers, making it a top priority in the government’s strategy to recruit 6,500 new teachers. • Foster academia-industry collaboration to accelerate R&D and maximize the UK's mathematical potential. In June 2025, CaMS highlights the contribution that mathematical sciences research is currently making to innovations in artificial intelligence, cyber security, and defence.      The contribution of maths to the UK 6 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 2 Parliamentary materials 2.1 Parliamentary questions Mathematics 20 May 2025 | UIN 51581 Asked by: Ian Sollom To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what changes her Department has made to the Advanced Maths Support Programme. Answering member: Catherine McKinnell | Department for Education From September 2025, the focus of the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) will be tilted towards the following areas: supporting schools with low girls’ progression to level 3 mathematics to implement evidence-driven strategies to encourage more girls into post-16 mathematics, supporting high-attaining KS2 disadvantaged students to progress to higher grades at GCSE and into level 3 mathematics, and courses to improve knowledge and skills on the key mathematical concepts and skills needed for artificial intelligence advancement and machine learning. The AMSP will continue to deliver teacher professional development in level 3 mathematics (core maths, A level Maths and A level Further Maths) and higher-level problem solving and university entrance tests, and deliver online student tuition in A level Further Maths for 16-19 students in institutions that cannot offer the qualification. Mathematics: Secondary Education 11 March 2025 | UIN 33285 Asked by: Connor Naismith To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure students who would have benefitted from the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme are still provided with the same opportunities they may have otherwise had. Answering member: Catherine McKinnell | Department for Education The department is committed to ensuring all children and young people have a strong foundation in mathematics, both so they can thrive in the modern economy, and also so that they can understand and participate in modern society to the greatest extent, regardless of background and socioeconomic status. Additionally, advanced mathematics underpins the development of cutting edge artificial intelligence, which my right hon. Friend, the Prime     The contribution of maths to the UK 7 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 Minister has set out as a key driver in the Plan for Change, helping to turbocharge growth and boost living standards. The Advanced Maths Support programme (AMSP) is a government funded programme that has a positive impact on mathematics education across England. The department is currently examining additional and alternative options which would support provision for advanced mathematics. The department continues to work closely with the AMSP supplier, Mathematics in Education and Industry, to ensure high quality professional development and support remains available to schools and colleges so that all students, regardless of background, can access high-quality level 3 mathematics education. This includes improving level 3 mathematics teaching and providing alternative tuition for level 3 further mathematics students, to increase participation and attainment in advanced mathematics and removing barriers of social injustice. Higher Education: Mathematics 11 February 2025 | UIN 28208 Asked by: Ian Sollom To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with universities on the importance maintaining the provision of maths. Answering member: Janet Daby | Department for Education My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, recognises the critical importance of mathematics provision at universities. English universities are independent, autonomous institutions and are therefore free to choose which courses they run. The quality of these courses is assessed by the Office for Students, the regulator of higher education providers in England. The government acknowledges that robust mathematics education is essential for developing the skills needed in various sectors and for maintaining the UK's competitive edge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The government is committed to ensuring the provision of high-quality mathematics education across universities of all tariff levels. Measures include financial incentives to attract talented individuals into teaching key shortage subjects, such as mathematics.       The contribution of maths to the UK 8 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 2.2 Select committee inquiries Maths Education Select Committee oral evidence 4 March 2025 | Science and Technology Committee | House of Lords Government plans for Maths to 18 and Schools Funding Select Committee oral evidence 18 July 2023 | Education Committee | HC 1745 2022-23     The contribution of maths to the UK 9 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 3 Press and stakeholder materials The following is a selection of news and media articles relevant to this debate. Please note: the Library is not responsible for either the views or the accuracy of external content. How England Should Reform Maths Education for the Age of AI Maths Horizons 2 June 2025 UK government to encourage more girls to study maths for AI-related careers National Technology News 6 May 2025 English and maths rule scrapped for adult apprentices, DfE confirms FE Week  11 February 2025 Boys in England significantly outperforming girls in maths and science University College London 10 March 2025 Cuts to advanced maths scheme ‘short-sighted’ Schools Week 30 January 2025 GCSE English and maths reform: what are the options? Association of Colleges 16 January 2025 Maths homework doesn’t have to end in tears: There is another way British Education Research Association  10 January 2025 Labour scraps UK’s planned national academy for mathematics Times Higher Education 26 September 2024 The Royal Society calls for a radical reform of maths education The Royal Society 3 September 2024 Maths degrees are becoming less accessible – and this is a problem for business, government and innovation The Conversation 2 May 2024      The contribution of maths to the UK 10 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 UK pupils’ science and maths scores lowest since 2006 in international tests The Guardian 5 December 2023 9 key findings from Ofsted’s maths subject report Schools Week 13 July 2023     The contribution of maths to the UK 11 Commons Library Debate Pack, 4 June 2025 4 Press releases and government publications More girls to study maths under plans to improve pathway into AI careers Department for Education 6 May 2025 International comparisons of education Department for Education 17 January 2025 Engagement with the Maths Hubs Programme Department for Education 4 December 2024 Coordinating mathematical success: the mathematics subject report Ofsted 13 July 2023       Disclaimer The Commons Library does not intend the information in our research publications and briefings to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual. 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The contribution of maths to the UK

Loft, Philip

Brown, Abigail

Brien, Philip

UK aid and women and girls

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Tham, Su-Gwan

Turnbull, Pauline

Kapur, Nav

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