The UK's specialist maths schools, compared honestly
Independent, methodically-sourced comparisons of every UK specialist maths school — admissions requirements, results, catchment areas, boarding and honest analysis of the evidence. No affiliation with any school, university or the U-Maths network — just the facts, sourced and dated, sitting next to each other for the first time.
The 1729 Maths School opens in September 2026 — the UK's first 11–18 specialist maths school, fee-charging and privately funded, and structurally unlike every other school here. Surrey and Aston are both mid-way through building their results history; Surrey's first-ever A-level results land Thursday 13 August 2026. Read the full picture in results by year and the 1729 Maths School profile.
Every school, at a glance
Full list & filters →Exeter Mathematics School
The original — open since 2014, with weekly boarding and the only results history that runs a decade deep.
- Sponsor: University of Exeter
- Exeter, Devon
- Opened 2014
King's College London Mathematics School
A founding 2014 school now expanding its intake by 50% — and the highest Oxbridge progression rate we found data for.
- Sponsor: King's College London
- Lambeth, South London
- Opened 2014
University of Liverpool Maths School
No fixed catchment, no boarding — and the Sunday Times' 2026 State Sixth Form College of the Year.
- Sponsor: University of Liverpool
- Liverpool city centre
- Opened 2020
Lancaster University School of Mathematics
Opened 2022 on the Cardinal Newman College site in Preston — the North West's second maths school.
- Sponsor: Lancaster University
- Preston, Lancashire
- Opened 2022
Cambridge Maths School
Rated "Exceptional" — Ofsted's top category — in every area of its first full inspection, April 2026.
- Sponsor: University of Cambridge
- Mill Road, Cambridge
- Opened 2023
Imperial College London Mathematics School
Opened 2023 — first-ever results ranked 2nd nationally among state schools in The Times' 2025 table.
- Sponsor: Imperial College London
- Finchley, North London (on the Woodhouse College site)
- Opened 2023
Leeds Mathematics School
First-ever results (Aug 2025) made it Yorkshire's top-performing state school in The Times' table.
- Sponsor: University of Leeds
- Leeds city centre
- Opened 2023
Surrey Maths School
Opened 2024, moved into its permanent Guildford-station site in 2026 — first-ever results land 13 August 2026.
- Sponsor: University of Surrey
- Mary Road, Guildford (permanent site from 2026, next to Guildford station)
- Opened 2024
Aston University Mathematics School
The newest open school in the network — opened September 2025, no results or Ofsted history yet.
- Sponsor: Aston University
- Aston University campus, Birmingham
- Opened 2025
Durham Mathematics School
Pre-opening — confirmed to proceed after a DfE review, but the school's own site lists only a provisional 2028 opening.
- Sponsor: Durham University
- Durham (site not yet confirmed)
University of Nottingham Maths School
Pre-opening — confirmed to proceed after a DfE review, but no site or opening date has been published.
- Sponsor: University of Nottingham
- Nottingham (site not yet confirmed)
The 1729 Maths School
Opens September 2026 with Year 7 and 9 only — a fee-charging, need-blind-bursaried independent school, not a free school, and not part of the U-Maths network.
- Mill Hill, North London (within the Mill Hill Education Group campus)
Why this site exists
Every school, one format
Admissions, results, catchment, boarding and Ofsted for every school laid out the same way, so you can actually compare rather than tab-hopping between twelve different prospectus sites.
Sourced, not guessed
Every fact carries a source. Where we couldn't independently confirm something, we say so and flag it — see our methodology — rather than presenting marketing copy as verified fact.
Honest about the evidence gap
The sector's headline outcomes come from schools that select on maths aptitude at 16. We say what that means for the numbers, plainly, in our research section.
Is there a maths school near you?
Most schools don't operate a strict catchment boundary — several take anyone who can realistically get there. Start with your region and see who's actually reachable.
Open the catchment checkerWeighing up two schools?
Admissions, results, boarding and catchment side by side. Fifteen ready-made comparisons, or build your own.
Compare schoolsStart here
All guides →What is a maths school?
A plain explanation of UK university maths schools: how they work, who runs them, how they differ from a normal sixth form, and the full list of every school open or opening.
How to apply to a maths school
The general application process for UK maths schools, step by step — from checking eligibility through to confirming your place after GCSE results.
Maths school entry requirements
What UK maths schools generally look for at GCSE, what's constant across every school, and why you should always check the exact thresholds on the specific school's own page.
Are maths schools worth it?
A balanced look at the case for and against choosing a specialist maths school — including the honest evidence gap nobody in this niche likes to mention.
"There is no independent, controlled evaluation of whether maths schools genuinely add value beyond selecting students who were already going to do well. Every headline figure in this sector comes from schools that select on mathematical aptitude at 16." — from our research section
Read the full analysis of what the evidence does and doesn't show →