What is a maths school?
A "maths school" in the UK almost always refers to a university maths school — a small, state-funded sixth form (ages 16–19) that specialises entirely in mathematics, sponsored by a university and usually co-sponsored by a further-education college or academy trust. They are free to attend, selective on mathematical aptitude rather than catchment address, and typically take only 60–65 students per year group.
Where the model came from
The first two — Exeter Mathematics School and King's College London Mathematics School — opened in 2014, the result of an idea pitched to the Treasury three years earlier. They then stayed the only two for six years before the network started expanding in earnest. A 2019 research paper (HEPI Occasional Paper 19) recommended expanding the model from two schools to ten by 2022; that target has since been passed. As of 2026 there are nine open schools and two more in the pre-opening pipeline, coordinated by a network body called U-Maths. See our full schools list for all of them, or the full policy history for how it actually happened.
How they differ from a normal sixth form
- Entry is selective and specific. Places are awarded on mathematical aptitude, not just general GCSE results or where you live.
- The cohort is small. Most schools run at well under 150 students across both year groups — closer to a large tutor group than a typical sixth form of several hundred.
- The catchment is wide. Because there are only a handful of these schools nationally, students often travel much further than they would to a normal sixth form — see our guide to boarding and travel.
- The subject menu is narrow but deep. Maths and Further Maths A-level are compulsory everywhere; the rest of the timetable is built around STEM subjects that complement them.
- Staff and facilities are often university-linked. Many schools use university academics for enrichment teaching, mentoring or extension material.
What a maths school isn't
It's not a grammar school (selection is on maths aptitude specifically, not general ability at 11 — see our grammar school comparison), and for the nine established schools it's not a private school either — there are no fees. The one exception is The 1729 Maths School, opening September 2026, which sits entirely outside the university maths school model: it's privately funded, takes students from age 11 rather than 16, and is not part of the U-Maths network. Its funding and admissions structure is different enough that we cover it separately rather than folding it into "how maths schools work" generally.
Do you have to move to attend? No — students commute daily in almost every case. Exeter is the only school known to offer weekly boarding for students who live too far to commute.
Do all maths schools require Further Maths A-level? Yes — every school in the network requires both Mathematics and Further Maths A-level, which is the one constant across an otherwise varied set of schools.
Next: read entry requirements, or jump straight to how to apply.