The first cohort of students to complete A-levels at Leeds Mathematics School is celebrating outstanding results.
Almost a third of students gained a grade A* - more than three times the national average – with many earning progression to universities and degree apprenticeships.
The students come from across the West Yorkshire region, with 40% from areas of high disadvantage.
Robert Wilne, Principal at Leeds Mathematics School, said: “I am incredibly proud of all our students. These remarkable A-level results are testament to their hard work and the dedication of our staff.”
The school, a partnership between The GORSE Academies Trust and the University of Leeds, opened two years ago, one of nine state-funded, specialist maths sixth form colleges in the UK.
Students with enthusiasm and aptitude for STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) study A-level subjects in more depth than a traditional secondary school or sixth form college. All students study Maths and Further Maths.
They can also take two A-levels from Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science and Mandarin Chinese.
In addition, the students receive industry experience and complete university-level extended academic projects as part of the Leeds Mathematics Certificate (LMC).
Solving real world problems
Martin Levesley, Professor of Dynamics and Control, and Justin Gallagher, Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, helped the teenagers to learn coding to solve real world problems.
They have been using the University of Leeds’ ReLOAD system (Real Labs Operated at Distance) to solve problems such as making a drone fly in low gravity conditions.
“It has been a really positive experience for all involved,” said Martin. “The students quickly absorbed the material and tackled things together as a team.
“Over a thousand students have used ReLOAD in the last 12 months alone and it runs 24/7 which means students at our joint school in China can use it when demand in the UK is low.
“There are not many people in the world who have this system and can do this work so we are proud of our technology and our students.”
Lecturer Dr Georgios Aivaliotis, an Alan Turing Fellow, has been supervising the LMC, teaching the students how to apply data analysis to financial forecasting.
The LMC is designed to bridge the gap between sixth form and university study by offering the opportunity to solve open-ended problems.
He presented a project focusing on the Central Limit Theorem, a statistical theory that can explain everyday observations.
“It is very exciting working with the students at Leeds Mathematics School as there is plenty of interaction. The time we spend with them is great as you can see how interested they are,” he said.
“I could really see a difference in the students at the end of the year. They had become more comfortable with the subject and spoke with confidence.
“They learnt to apply analysis to data such as infection rates in hospitals to see what the trends were and how solutions could be applied.
“They also developed teamwork skills and practised presentations which are all very useful for when they go on to university or employment.”
Supporting students
Student Oliver Reed said: “The academics at the University of Leeds were an exceptionally supportive bunch.
“Our personal supervisor gave real feedback on our progress, helping to develop our understanding on ideas within our project, giving points and guidance to correct our misconceptions, and generally just being supportive with any of the complications that arose within our group.”
Leeds Mathematics School is committed to supporting mathematics teaching and learning across the region. The students also had the opportunity to volunteer with younger school children.
Student Tryphene Landa said: “I was incredibly happy to receive support from Leeds Mathematics School staff to run outreach sessions to increase the participation of girls in physics.
“The staff have encouraged so many different students across West Yorkshire to study maths - studying here has shown me that it's important to use our resources to help a variety of young people get involved in STEM.”
Steve Gleadall, Educational Engagement Manager at the University of Leeds, who was instrumental in setting up Leeds Mathematics School, said: “We are excited to work with the GORSE Academies Trust because they offer excellent provision and share the same values as ourselves.
“Like us, they believe in providing a safe environment that is also academically challenging. We believe that anyone from any background can succeed in the right circumstances and with the right encouragement.”
Further information
Please contact the University of Leeds press office at pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk.