Lancaster University School of Mathematics: A Purpose-Built Haven for Gifted Mathematicians

When the doors of this state-of-the-art campus opened in September 2022, Lancaster University School of Mathematics entered a distinct category: the first purpose-built specialist mathematics school anywhere in the United Kingdom. The £8.5 million facility on London Road sits where young people with genuine passion for mathematical sciences study A-level Mathematics, Further Mathematics, and one STEM subject from Physics, Chemistry, or Computer Science. With just over 100 students across two cohorts by 2025 and an Ofsted rating of Outstanding, LUSoM (as it is known) has emerged as one of England's most selective and academically rigorous sixth form options. Located in a purpose-built school building on London Road, Preston, it is the first purpose-built specialist Maths School in the UK. The school partners with both Lancaster University — ranked among the UK's top ten — and Cardinal Newman College to ensure students have access to university-level enrichment alongside their core studies. For the mathematically gifted, regardless of background, this is not a school that asks them to hide their passion; it is a place designed specifically so they can flourish.

The building itself was designed to foster intellectual community. The project brief was to support the 'learning community' ethos of LUSoM, by creating an inspiring and supportive academic environment, with a collaborative design and engagement process that resulted in a wide range of open flexible learning spaces throughout the building for teacher tutorials, social spaces, group collaboration and solo study.

Teaching spaces are provided for degree-standard learning and feature observation booths or digital recording facilities to support best practice training to the wider teaching community, with ceramic whiteboards lining the walls to encourage pupils to work on formulae in an interactive and collaborative manner. Walking the corridors, one encounters a distinct culture where mathematical excellence is the norm, not the exception. Students here have self-selected into a highly specialist environment; nearly all are studying Further Mathematics alongside core A-level Mathematics, and problem-solving is woven into daily conversation.

Ofsted were highly complimentary about the atmosphere and culture within the school, commenting in their report that "students are extremely positive about the school and enjoy working alongside peers who share similar interests. They appreciate the inclusive culture where students can be themselves and where expertise and enthusiasm for learning are celebrated." Pete Tiltman, who joined as Head of School in May 2022 before the first cohort arrived, brings experience from senior leadership roles across Lancashire and Bolton secondary schools. Tiltman studied three separate maths A-Levels and achieved his degree in Mathematics at Christ's College, Cambridge, before qualifying as a teacher and progressing through leadership roles to become Head of Maths at a Blackpool High school, then Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Head Teacher at Turton School in Bolton before joining LUSoM. His vision — to create space where mathematical talent is celebrated across all backgrounds — shapes everything from curriculum design to pastoral approach. The school's values of Ambition, Communication, Professionalism, and Wisdom are visible not in posters alone but in how staff interact with students and how students support one another.

A-level results tell a compelling story. 85% of all A-level grades in 2024 were A*-B, with 65% being A*/A grades and an incredible 30% of all grades being A*.

This launched LUSoM straight into the top twenty schools in the country on the measure of A* grades.

LUSoM's carefully tailored approach boosted A-level grades in Mathematics by almost one whole grade under the value added measures. To put this in context: exam results last year saw LUSoM amongst the top state sixth form providers in the whole of the north of England in both attainment and value-added measures.

The school's positioning in national rankings reinforces this picture. the school ranks 93rd in England for A-level performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it firmly in the top tier nationally. The 85% A*-B rate substantially exceeds the England average of 47%, reflecting both the carefully curated cohort and the depth of teaching.

Ofsted Inspection

The overall outcome of the Ofsted inspection on 29 April 2025 was Outstanding, with all areas rated Outstanding: Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management, and Education Programmes for Young People. The inspectors praised not just academic rigour but the culture fostered here. "Students benefit from very effective careers advice and guidance. They value frequent encounters with higher education institutions and employers and are very well informed about their next steps and progress to positive destinations. Students complete projects to further their love of mathematics and related disciplines, they use their projects to identify the specialisms that they would like to pursue further at university or in their future careers."

The curriculum at LUSoM is deliberately not a standard A-level package made more selective. The course structure requires all students to study A-level Mathematics and Further Mathematics and a third A-level from either Physics, Chemistry or Computer Science. This structure ensures that every student is developing breadth within STEM while deepening mathematical expertise. Teaching draws on Lancaster University's School of Mathematical Sciences — one of the most highly ranked mathematics departments in UK universities — with academics delivering lectures and workshops that bridge sixth form study and university-level thinking.

LUSoM students come from across Lancashire to study, drawn by the environment in which highly skilled teachers are able to explore and link the STEM curricula in ways that are not possible in many other colleges. There is a strong focus on problem solving and on developing the ability of students to discuss, reason and persuade. The curriculum is also enhanced by inspiring guest speakers, talking about topics in advanced mathematics or their career journey. The emphasis is not on test-passing but on mathematical thinking — reasoning through unfamiliar problems, defending solutions, and seeing mathematics as a toolkit applicable across disciplines.

Where do these mathematicians progress? The vast majority of students from the school go on to their first choice, high tariff universities, and nearly a fifth of them go on to their partner Lancaster University.

This enabled students to progress to university studies in mathematical degrees (which around one-third of the cohort did) as well as to STEM and medically-aligned subjects, or to prestigious degree apprenticeships with Dyson and BAE. In the 2024 cohort, three students out of its first cohort of thirty-one got offers at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. Beyond Oxbridge, students have secured places at leading research universities for mathematics, physics, and engineering. The school's track record suggests that those arriving here with genuine aptitude and intellectual curiosity find themselves very well positioned for selective university entry.

LUSoM does not operate on the principle that formal lessons are enough. The school embeds enrichment throughout, with Curriculum X, a bespoke programme of activities designed to give students greater depth in their mathematical and scientific understanding, as well as university and careers advice to prepare them for work in STEM careers. This goes beyond guest lectures. Students are required to complete two projects over the course of their time, with the first being a group project (groups of 4 or 5 students) with each group being assigned a mentor from Lancaster University. The group meets with the mentor a few times over the course of the project and is required to produce a research presentation and poster at the end.

At the end of Year 12 leading into Year 13, students are then required to do an individual project, which can be accredited to an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) if the student wishes.

The school actively encourages participation in UK Mathematics Trust competitions. LUSoM students have taken part in a number of Maths Challenges run by the UKMT, from the Mathematical Olympiad for Girls and Mathematical Competition for Girls to the Senior Maths Challenge, with LUSoM students seeing success in all competitions. These competitions develop resilience and expose students to mathematics beyond the syllabus.

Beyond formal academics, the school organizes educational trips. The school took 18 Year 13 students to Berlin, exploring science, technology and history, including a visit to the ComputerSpiele Museum, diving into the history of retro consoles and classic computers. This real-world engagement — seeing how mathematics connects to technology, history, and innovation — shapes how students think about their subject.

The enrichment programme includes talks and workshops delivered by academics at Lancaster University, giving students insight into higher education level study, the diversity of Maths related subjects and how leading research is applied in a real-world context. The Personal Development programme extends beyond mathematics, recognizing that students need skills beyond technical knowledge to thrive in careers. Leadership development, teamwork, and communication are woven through the two-year experience.

The Rigby Education Trust partnership with Cardinal Newman College opens further possibilities: Through the School's partnership with Cardinal Newman College, students can also take a wide range of other A-levels, ensuring that they can both deepen their love of maths and complement this with social science, arts or humanities studies. A student passionate for both mathematics and history, for instance, can pursue both at depth in ways difficult in traditional comprehensive sixth forms.

Admission is selective and purposeful. The school is highly selective, with prospective students expected to have GCSE mathematics qualification at grade 8 or 9 and required to sit an admissions assessment.

The aptitude test assesses overall understanding of maths as a subject and shows how students can adapt what they know to specific situations and work through a problem. The test requires no additional mathematics knowledge from the topics already studied at Key Stage 3 in secondary school.

Once applicants have sat the aptitude test, they are invited to attend a Guidance interview, an informal meeting with a member of the LUSoM team that takes place either online or at high school.

Applications for September 2026 entry are currently open. The school's mission explicitly includes social mobility. LUSoM recruits the brightest and most talented maths pupils from across Lancashire, whatever their background, with a particular mission to reach out to under-represented communities and promote the study of maths, not least to girls.

Female students, those from under-represented ethnic groups, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds all progress at higher rates to mathematically intensive STEM degrees than comparable peers elsewhere. This commitment to access means that financial circumstances do not automatically exclude talented students. The school operates a bursary programme for families who need financial support.

Ofsted noted that behaviour and personal development were both Outstanding. The school takes pastoral support seriously, with students benefiting from project work with academic mentors from Lancaster University departments including its School of Mathematical Sciences — one of the most highly ranked Maths departments across UK universities. Beyond academic mentoring, the school provides structured support for the transition into university life, application processes, and career planning. The small size of each cohort (around 100 students) means staff know individual students well and can respond to needs quickly.

The school is located at 67-69 London Road, Preston, PR1 4BA, in the heart of Preston city centre. The teaching day follows a standard sixth form pattern, though specific times are available on the school website. Transport links are good, with Preston railway station nearby. For students traveling from across Lancashire (as many do), coordinated transport options and the convenient city-centre location help manage logistics.

Highly selective entry is the principal barrier. With GCSE grade 8 or 9 in Mathematics required and an aptitude test filtering candidates, this school is genuinely exclusive. Families must be comfortable with a genuinely competitive application process. This is not a school for those seeking a gentle progression to sixth form; it is for students with demonstrated mathematical aptitude and genuine enthusiasm for the subject.

The curriculum is narrow by design. Every student studies Mathematics and Further Mathematics. The third A-level must be from Physics, Chemistry, or Computer Science. While this narrowness ensures depth in STEM, students whose interests lie primarily in humanities, social sciences, or arts should explore mainstream sixth forms. The breadth of choice available in most sixth form colleges is intentionally limited here.

The school is brand new to the education landscape. While the first cohort achieved exceptional results and Ofsted rated it Outstanding, it lacks the decades of track record that some traditional providers offer. Families betting on LUSoM are investing in a vision and a leader's execution of that vision, not in an established institution. That vision has so far proven sound, but novelty is worth acknowledging.

Social composition is skewed toward the mathematically gifted. For some students, being surrounded entirely by peers who love mathematics is energizing. For others, it can feel pressurized. Students who thrive through competitiveness and intellectual peer challenge will flourish; those who prefer a more relaxed social environment may find the culture intense.

Lancaster University School of Mathematics represents something distinct in English education: a state-funded sixth form entirely organized around excellence in mathematical sciences and social mobility. The investment — both physical (the building) and intellectual (the university partnership)—demonstrates genuine institutional commitment to the principle that mathematical talent should not be constrained by circumstance or geography. Results are exceptional, Ofsted validation is complete, and early university destinations are excellent.

Best suited to mathematically ambitious students aged 16-19 who hold GCSE grade 8 or 9 in Mathematics, who have demonstrated aptitude in the admissions test, and who genuinely want to spend two years in a community of similarly passionate mathematicians. This is not a fallback option; it is a destination school for those who know exactly what they are seeking. For families able to navigate the selective entry process and comfortable with specialization in depth, LUSoM offers an educational experience simply not available elsewhere in state provision.