Girls from schools across the North have been inspired to study mathematics as Leeds marks its status as City of Maths.
The ‘Balancing the Equation’ event at the University of Leeds, part of the Girls’ Progression activities run by the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP), aimed to develop students’ problem-solving and teamwork skills while encouraging more girls to pursue maths after the age of 16.
The event is offered at venues around the country, including Leicester, London, Oxford, Bath and Newcastle.
Leeds launched as the City of Maths in January 2026 – embarking on a two-year programme of activities and support for students, teachers, families and communities across Leeds.
Girls need to see more role models and STEM outreach is trying to change that. The outreach work Leeds does in this area is very positive.
Ruth Holland, Head of Maths and Schools for the City of Maths and the Mathematics Outreach Lead for the University, said: “There is a lot of excitement about maths in Leeds at the moment. We’re working with many partners to bring the subject to life and help people feel more positive about it.”
Stephen Wilkinson, Senior Local Lead (North East and Yorkshire) for AMSP, which is funded by the Department for Education and is managed by the charity Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), said the goal for the event was to encourage more girls to take up Maths at A-level and into higher education.
He said they had worked with the University of Leeds for a long time. “It has a great reputation for teaching Maths and it is also good at reaching out and supporting schools in the region,” he said.
“There are not enough girls going on to study Maths at A-level so the idea for this event was to invite those students who do well at Maths but don’t necessarily have the confidence to take it further.”
Rachel Beddoes, Disadvantage and Girls’ Participation Lead at MEI, said: “Girls don’t lag in attainment. They do just as well as boys at GCSE but they don’t choose to pursue Maths at A-level. Around two-thirds of Maths A-level students are male and a third female so it is all about ‘balancing the equation’.
“Girls need to see more role models and STEM outreach is trying to change that. The outreach work Leeds does in this area is very positive.
“The Balancing the Equation event is a great opportunity for girls to see what it is like on a university campus and to talk to university students who are studying not just maths but subjects that involve a lot of maths.”
Support to solve problems
Student Engagement Ambassador Navneet Kaur, who is in her final year of studying Zoology, was supporting girls at the event to solve a variety of problems. “They are a bit shy to start off with but then they get to know each other a bit more and engage more enthusiastically in teamwork,” she said.
Attending the event were students from Ilkley Grammar in Wharfedale; Trinity Academy Grammar in East Leeds; the Ruth Gorse Academy in Hunslet, Leeds; The Calder Learning Trust in Hebden Bridge; Heckmondwike Grammar in the Spen Valley; Ryburn Valley High School in Elland; Feversham Girls’ Secondary School in Bradford and Ryedale School in Beadlam, North Yorkshire.
I found it quite fascinating to learn about the different jobs and career pathways.
Amelia, Josie, Gracie and Zia, all 15-year-olds from Ilkley Grammar, said they had been chosen to attend the Balancing the Equation event because they were in the top set but were unsure whether they wanted to take Maths at A-level.
Amelia said: “I found it quite fascinating to learn about the different jobs and career pathways. My favourite part was talking to the students about their journey.”
The 15-year-olds were able to talk to undergraduate ambassadors who were studying a range of subjects including mathematics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, computer science, physics and automotive engineering. Mathematics at A-level is essential for many of these subjects.
Ilkley Grammar Maths teacher Catherine Cox said: “I chose girls who were good at Maths but who lacked the confidence to take it further than GCSE. They are girls who tend to be good all-rounders so could pursue A-level in a variety of subjects.
“I wanted to show them how useful maths can be in a variety of careers so it is well worth taking it at A-level.
“The event was all about problem-solving. Top set girls can be meticulous. Sometimes they can focus too much on what has gone wrong. They need to learn to feel through a problem. That is why the first session of the day was called ‘Slow Maths’. It is about pursuing different routes to reach a solution.”
She added: “Maths is the worst subject when it goes wrong and the best subject when it goes right. It is all about building confidence.
“This type of event is also about being with like-minded people and enjoying the subject. Once you enjoy it, you practise more and the better you get at it. And then you realise it can be a route for you.”
Inspirational speakers Keisha Thompson and Ayliean MacDonald came along to give the girls a different perspective. Keisha, who works for The Guardian as a Programme Manager for Legacies of Enslavement, is also a poet, musician and producer. Ayliean is a Maths communicator and content creator.
Keisha is also a research associate and honorary fellow at the University of Manchester. She is currently working on a project with the School of Environment, Education and Development called Very Local Mathematics.
She said: “I have a Maths A-level but chose not to pursue a degree. Instead, I ended up doing Politics and Philosophy at University. But then I trained as a Maths teacher and this rekindled my love of Maths.
“I am very passionate about Maths. It is part of our everyday lives.”
Further information
For further information, please contact Jane Lewis in the University of Leeds press office at j.lewis3@leeds.ac.uk.