16-18 Mathematics Education Review

(asked on 10th May 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations of the Smith Review of post-16 mathematics since its publication on 20 July 2017.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 15th May 2018

The Government is committed to increasing participation in level 3 mathematics to ensure the future workforce is skilled, competitive and productive. Since 2004, entries to A level mathematics have risen by 83% (84,226 in 2017). It is now the most popular A level and taken by 23.8% of students taking academic qualifications. There are currently over 250 students attending the two open mathematics schools sponsored by King’s College London and Exeter University along with Exeter College.

The Department has already implemented a number of the recommendations made by the Smith Review. A funding incentive has been introduced to help schools and colleges increase participation in post-16 academic mathematics qualifications. The advanced maths premium will provide up to £600 per additional student studying academic level 3 mathematics qualifications.

The Department has reduced the requirements for an additional payment that supports those 16 to 19 year olds who are undertaking a greater number of subjects post 16. The changes aim to provide a further financial incentive for promoting the further mathematics A level. Students will now need to achieve a grade C rather than a grade B in their further mathematics A level for their school or college to receive this additional payment

The Government continues to fund centrally delivered professional development programmes for core maths, AS/A levels mathematics and further mathematics. A new Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP), worth £16 million over two years, started on the 1 May.

The Department is also working with the Royal Society’s Advisory Committee on Maths Education to embed occupation-specific maths within the technical qualification component of each of the new T levels.

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