MEI is delighted to be one of four delivery partners selected to receive funding from the newly established Maths Excellence Fund. The Fund was launched in June 2023, following the publication of Maths Excellence Pathways, a research report by the University of Nottingham and XTX Markets. The report highlights some of the key challenges in supporting students to join and stay on the maths excellence pathway, especially students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Over the next 5 years, MEI plans to work with 10 schools in Birmingham to develop their maths leadership and teaching capacity. The funding from the Maths Excellence Fund will help provide additional support for students and teachers in the selected schools and create capacity to improve maths progression. Through a menu of targeted interventions, including additional tuition, enrichment, and professional development, our aim is to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who excel in maths at school, and progress to study maths at university.

The process of selecting the 10 schools to be part of the project has begun and these will be confirmed in the spring term. MEI will work with a range of stakeholders in Birmingham to enhance the effectiveness of this project so that it has the greatest impact possible.

Kevin Lord, Director of MEI Programmes commented:

“MEI is committed to equity of access to a high-quality maths education, so I’m delighted with this award of funding from the Maths Excellence Fund. It will enable MEI to provide a programme of support for schools in Birmingham to improve maths progression, particularly for those students facing greater challenges in fulfilling their potential.”