The Hg Foundation partnered with XTX Markets and Purposeful Ventures to launch a new £7m ‘Maths Excellence Fund’. The Fund will support schools in England to improve attainment and progression in Maths from 11-16 and 16-18 years of age, increasing the number of students who are on track to succeed in A-level Maths and beyond, with a focus on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Fund draws on a research report published by XTX Markets and the University of Nottingham which highlighted major inequalities in young people’s chances of joining and leaving the ‘Maths excellence pathway’. For example, three quarters of the most advantaged students stay on the excellence pathway (the top quintile of performance) from 11-16, compared with less than half of students on free school meals.

The Foundation’s Further mA*ths project with Imperial College supports low-income students in the sixth form (aged 17/18) and our Tech 500 programme with upReach provides further support to those of university age. But, the data show that much talent is lost earlier on.  This is an important opportunity to intervene earlier, increasing the numbers of low-income students who are in a position to pursue higher level study at A level and beyond. 

XTX Markets has committed the first £5mn in funding with The Hg Foundation committing a further £2mn. XTX Markets and The Hg Foundation will work closely with Purposeful Ventures to ensure that the Fund focuses on students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and that the resulting programmes are independently evaluated and can be scaled in future. The fund will be managed by Purposeful Ventures, a charity with an outstanding record in incubating and scaling education initiatives.