The Extended Curriculum

King’s Maths School aims to develop a broader set of skills than is possible through A-levels alone.

The King's Certificate

The King's Certificate is a substantial collaborative research-based project completed by all students in year 12. Projects are set by academics from King's College London as well as by industry professionals from companies working in mathematical fields including Dyson, Man Group and Faculty. The projects give our students a taste of real research, and the opportunity to develop a broad array of skills that will support them in future study and careers.

Previous projects have included a group of students working with the engineering firm Dyson to design an autonomous vacuum cleaner that can find its way around a room, and a group working with a physicist at King's College London to understand and explain the early expansion of the universe.

In their second year, roughly half of our students opt to take their research further and complete an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which is equivalent to half an A-level in scope and in UCAS weighting.

Extension and Challenge

At King’s Maths School, you will be challenged in each and every lesson. We also have a weekly slot in year 12 dedicated to extension: here you will be prepared for challenging examinations including Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests.

All students are prepared for entry to the Senior Mathematics Challenge and the Physics AS and A2 Challenges. There is also optional support to enter the Mathematics, Physics and Informatics Olympiads.

Curriculum X

Students in their second year can choose from a range of courses in mathematics, physics, computer science and economics that take students far beyond the A Level curriculum and help prepare them for undergraduate study. This is a programme tailor-made for the interests common to King's Maths School students, taught by our own teachers and also by lecturers at King's College London. It provides a unique opportunity that is treasured by our students.

Problem solving

Students in year 12 meet with a PhD mathematician once each week to develop their skill in problem solving. The problems set are unusual, are designed to encourage creativity as well as skill in communicating mathematical ideas. This programme is not only intellectually stimulating but provides vital preparation for university learning.

Sport and Exercise

Our programme of sport is designed to encourage all students to take up a form of exercise that they enjoy and that will help them to live healthy lives.

The school makes use of King’s College London and local facilities to provide options that are all within walking distance of the school. Each Friday afternoon students choose between football, basketball, gym, bouldering, dance, mixed martial arts, walking, running and table tennis. There is something for everyone!

Care, Guidance and Support

Excellent care, guidance and support is integral to the success of our students. Each student is assigned a house group and a tutor. Tutors get to know their students very well. They keep an eye on students’ well-being as well as on their academic attainment, and they support students in the journey young person to young adult.

Once each fortnight you will meet your tutor for a one-to-one academic mentoring session between 16:00 and 16:30. Through these regular meetings, tutors get to know their tutees very well indeed and are able to support them through the mange stages of their time at King's Maths School in the journey from young person to young adult.

Clubs and Societies

Lunchtime and after-school clubs and societies are a great way for students to develop their interests. The most popular is Robotics Club, where Dr Matthew Howard (lecturer in robotics at King’s College London) teaches students to build and programme Lego EV3 robots. There is also Drama Club, Board Games Club, Philosophy Club, Cryptic Crosswords Club, Chess Club, Anime Club, Art Club, Book Club, Film Club, Latin Club, Astronomy Club.. and more!

Futures

We use the umbrella term 'futures' to talk about both university and careers.

Progression to University

With the help of the experts at King’s College London we help students to select the courses and universities they want to apply for.

In year 12, we put on a sequence of talks and visits designed to help students figure out what subject area they want to study. Talks across the year also encourage alternative options to university, in particular competitive internships and apprenticeships. Once the end of year exams are over, we take students to three different universities and encourage them to attend two more of their choice. We provide detailed guidance and support about the application process, and in particular the personal statement.

At the start of year 13, students finalise their decisions with our advice, and submit their applications.

Our outcomes here speak for themselves: in 2019, 27% of students progressed to Oxbridge and 87% progressed to Russell Group universities. These are the highest figures in the state school sector.

Careers

There is a perception that people who are good at mathematics go on to become either accountants, teachers, or academics. The reality is that in the modern world, mathematically well-trained minds go into a hugely diverse range of different fields and industries. Here are just some examples: aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, bioscience, business & consultancy, data science and financial modelling. You can learn more about how mathematics is a door-opening subject at www.mathscareers.org.uk

We support every King’s Maths School student to do some form of work placement or experience during their two years at the school, usually completed in the summer between year 12 and year 13.

The School Day

Teenagers need a lot of sleep, so King’s College London Mathematics School will start its day later than traditional schools. School starts at 09:15 and there are six 50 minute lessons each day, which will end at 16:00 with the option of staying later to discuss problems with your peers, engage in independent study, or speak to your teachers.

If you have any queries please email the school at mathsschool@kcl.ac.uk

We are committed to providing students with opportunities to participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities during their time at KCLMS. There are numerous student-led clubs and societies to get involved with, including debate, philosophy, politics, knitting, “Among Us”, Minecraft Mondays, a newly formed instrumental music club, and much more.

One of our school’s central beliefs is ensuring students have a say in what is offered and available with regards to clubs. Students are always welcome to set up new ones if they are not able to find something of interest.

Students take part in many school-based, local and national competitions and academic challenges. These are all elective and are primarily a fun and exciting way to broaden students’ academic experience beyond the classroom. Activities include the United Kingdom Maths Trust challenges and Olympiads, as well as public speaking competitions.

Although these competitions are more about taking part and enjoying oneself, we have a lot of success in them. In autumn 2020 sixteen of our students took part in the UKMT Maths Olympiad for Girls (MOG). Their results were outstanding - our best ever. Ten students’ scores placed them in the top 25% of participants, 8 of whom were in the top 10%. One of our Year 12 students attained full marks - an achievement matched by only 11 others in the UK.

We have also excelled in public speaking competitions. For instance, in Spring 2020, KCLMS won first place in the Sheriffs’ Challenge Final, a prestigious inter-London debating competition.

Ultimately, the activities programme at KCLMS provide our students with opportunities to learn the value of teamwork, individual and group responsibility, diversity, competition and a sense of culture and school community.

Student council

Our students take an active role in school life and contribute in a significant way to our community. One of the ways in which they do this is through the student council, which encourages students to get involved in issues that concern them in and around school – and indeed beyond. Having this council helps creates a feeling of belonging, foments collaboration, and improves student and teacher relationships.

Our council, the voice of the student body, focuses on listening to and representing the views of students. Everyone deserves to feel like they have a say in school and we believe that this system allows our students to have the highest level of involvement. Put simply, the student council is a force for continuous improvement at KCLMS.

The student council consists of a chair and a vice chair, and year 12 and 13 officers representing Events, Charities + Environment, and Wellbeing + Diversity. Student council elections occur annually with the elected team organising events, working collaboratively with staff on school strategy, and ensuring wellbeing is at the heart of all that we do.

Speakers

We have numerous events that take place in school, including a large number of speakers delivering interactive talks so that students can participate with polls, Q&As, quizzes, etc.

Speakers come from a wide range of backgrounds and professions including science, maths, engineering, technology, economics, and investment banking. Recent virtual speakers have included Dr David Manheim, a super forecaster, who explained the value of information, and a senior trader from the investment bank JP Morgan, who introduced mathematical constructs used for market pricing.

Charities and the environment

As a school, we strongly believe that we have a duty to the people and the world around us, which is why we organise charity events to support our local community. These include charity Christmas Jumper Day, writing Christmas letters to people who might be experiencing loneliness and isolation, and organising food donations.

We also try to lower our carbon footprint and improve our school’s general environment by introducing plants to brighten up our buildings, using refillable whiteboard pens, and reducing printed materials in class. We also try to improve our sustainability and help various charities. We always welcome suggestions from teachers, students, and our general school community as to how we can make things better around us.