Maths schools for 6th form

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Has anyone got any experience? DS very keen on the uni of Liverpool maths school. They all do the same 4 a levels (maths, computer science, physics , further maths) then most drop one after one year.
I'd love to hear some info from people with experience.

My son went to Exeter Maths School and it was brilliant, their ethos is so good - they definitely don't want to be an exams factory, but are trying to help their students become the best mathematicians and scientists that they can. EMS is linked to Exeter College, which is massive, so they could choose any 4th A level to do there, but many drop that after a year, often picking up "curriculum X" instead, which is more maths/science, outside what they would study for the A level syllabus.

It does really stretch young people in the right ways, plus they get to be with "their people" and they "get" each other. I think we are so lucky to have one near us.

I assume it was a very small cohort? What was the social aspect like?

The intake was about 60, the social aspect was fine, as far as I know, there was a mix of introverts and extroverts and plenty of shared interests, including maths, obviously! Happy to answer any questions if I can, if you want to message me.

My DD went to the London Maths School and I can't speak too highly of it. There was no teaching to the exam but an aim of making all the students well rounded maths students. Curriculum X really added to her knowledge. She's now at University and finds that new topics were often covered in Curriculum X even if it
in a small way; it gives her a lot of confidence.

Although the school only had 70 off pupils- her social life was fine. 6th. forms are much more fluid and they also don't lose contact with their friends from their previous school

Did your children do a subject at uni really helped by their choice of sixth form?

My son's doing an integrated masters in Maths, so yes, it is helpful 😁

I have a DC at the Exeter Maths school and they have applied for an integrated maths masters as well. I’m confident that the transition to degree level maths should be reasonably smooth as they have had a taste of it with Curriculum X which is designed to bridge the gap between A level and degree.

Obviously a lot do go onto read Maths but some read other things like engineering, physics, computer science . With careers advice they said they are obviously STEM specialists but if someone wanted to do something different they would help get the advice needed.

The projects they do are really helpful for personal statement and the one with industry has led to work before for some of the students.

I agree @EMSparent , the projects they do for the Exeter Maths Certificate are really good, and help prepare them for group work and research stuff at uni. I imagine the other maths schools do something similar?

If your son wants to go to Oxbridge or Warwick or somewhere, then having other people to work with when preparing for the MAT or STEP is a bonus.

At EMS, there were regular talks from different people about their work, really inspiring and helped highlight all the different careers that were possible.

Hmmm.
My DD thought about attending Exeter maths school when it first opened. A couple of friends from other schools sent their DC there. My DD got better grades than both while she remained at her decidedly average sixth form. I think too there were extra costs (accommodation etc).
6 years on my DD also has a better, more interesting maths-y job than the two students I knew.
Also, philosophically I didn't like that the school was essentially creaming off the maths talent from existing sixth forms - largely through flattery. Parents were preening oh my DC got a place at the Maths School....
My DD was glad she mixed with a wider range of disciplines too.
I really don't get the concept tbh. It didn't seem to further any of the cohort I saw (I did look at their destinations afterwards, and they were no more impressive than DD's school mathmos).
Maybe the school hadn't properly bedded in then though - it was early days

DD also went on to do an integrated masters - it doesn't make you any brighter than anyone doing a usual undergrad degree tbh. She then did a separate masters in a related field at a specialist institution and landed an academic job there.

I absolutely agree doing an integrated masters doesn’t make you any brighter. It’s just this year it is tricky on the applications front and I think being at EMS helped my DC get offer to preferred option - no way of knowing though is there!

Personally for us it wasn’t about end destinations and future jobs at all. It has been about a more enjoyable 6th form experience for a DC who really hasn’t enjoyed time at previous schools at all so they enjoy going to school for the first time in their life and does better in a smaller cohort. They are happier at home and talk more and I am no longer so worried about their mental health and that is exactly what I was hoping would happen.

It has been great socially and at encouraging independence . For the first time they haven’t felt like a square peg in a round hole and that was a theme that came though strongly talking to the parents of students in the year above. It obviously wouldn’t suit everyone and I do get the issue of the potential to cream off the talent from local sixth forms but they take from a wide area and no one here had ever heard of it where I am .

It was stressed at the open day you don’t have to be exceptional, just really enjoy maths and I think it suits people whose mind work in a certain way. I don’t think the results are going to be great this year as I think Pandemic anxiety has hit a lot of them despite the brilliant efforts of the staff to mitigate it. I think maybe there is an expectation that they will be kids who get straight A*s but it really isn’t like that.

I have a feeling that it could be one of those things that if you don’t really get it then it’s because you don’t have a DC who would particularly benefit . I think unfortunately you’ll always get parents who are preening tossers but most people I have met seem pretty sensible, to be fair I don’t know many due to covid. I did see a few at the info days who made me eye roll a bit .

Best advice I can give to anyone reading is go to a info day. We looked at 7 sixth forms and that was the one my DC wanted to go to. Best way I can describe it is when you go house hunting. Some you walk into and think yes I want to live here, others that are great on paper but you just don’t get that feeling.

It sounds very limited if it just offers those 4 A levels. You would have to be very sure that's what you wanted to do.

Does it offer STEP maths classes as well? My DCs 6th form college did offer them from the start of y12.( Although my dc did drop them quite quickly .)

I would have thought a general 6th form college would be better if you have that option.

@interferringma I think @EMSparent has it right, it isn't about being better than everyone/everywhere else, but it does really suit some young people and maybe they will do better there in the round than if they had gone elsewhere?

There are only extra expenses if students want to board because they live too far away to commute, the catchment area covers Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset as well as all of Devon. If you live more locally it doesn't cost anything.

I don't think doing an integrated masters makes you brighter either, I was just answering the question about if it had been helpful to be so immersed in maths! If anything the best thing about the integrated masters is the cost effectiveness 😊

Agree - you may as well sign up for the Integrated Masters because our get funding straight off. Many students actually decide against it once they start at uni. But at least they have the funding in the bag if they want to do it. That's the advantage. It bought DD the time to realise she didn't want to head into finance, but could pursue abs be paid for her research interests.

I suspect my DC may well not do the masters but decided to apply because as you say interferringma it’s good to know the funding is there is wanted. It’s great to hear your DD found what she wanted to do 🙂