England may finally be shaking off the perception of being “bad at maths” after record numbers of pupils sat A-level mathematics and further maths this summer and the percentage of top grades rose.
Maths has long been a popular A-level choice, but this year it surpassed previous levels, with more than 100,000 candidates – the first subject ever to breach that threshold – and further maths becoming the fastest growing A-level.
Top grades are also up, with 41.5% of sixth-formers in England awarded either an A* or an A, which is an increase on last year and at a comparable level to the three last pre-pandemic years.
“It’s really, really positive,” said Dr Jennie Golding, an associate professor of maths education at University College London. The boost followed years of investment and concerted efforts to shift attitudes and improve results, she said.
“Certainly from our work with schools, what we are seeing is that teachers and students have been working their socks off post-pandemic. It’s great to see their efforts bearing fruit,” Golding said. “The other thing that we are seeing in schools is an increased seriousness in young people about the doors that maths opens.”
Marcus du Sautoy, the Simonyi professor for the public understanding of science and a professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford, agreed: “The increased number of students taking maths at A-level reflects the fact that many students understand that we are living in an age where digital and mathematical literacy is crucial to navigating the modern world.
“For me the challenge is converting those studying A-level mathematics into students choosing mathematics at university. It is here that you really learn the language to give you control of your destiny in this digital age.”
Among the changes in maths education was the introduction of specialist maths sixth-forms, such as Exeter Mathematics school where Stanley Rimmer achieved three A*s and one A. The student, from Braunton, Devon, said he planned to study pure mathematics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
“I love the problem-solving aspect of maths, knowing it will always become more difficult,” Rimmer said. “I was nervous waiting for my results. I knew I had done OK but it was just a case of whether the grades would be good or really good.”
While there are concerns that the popularity and success of maths comes at the expense of other subjects, there is also frustration at a continuing gender gap. About 63,000 boys study A-level maths, compared with about 37,000 girls – with an 11% increase in uptake among boys and a 10% increase for girls this year. “It’s so stubborn,” Golding said.
David Thomas, the head of Axiom Maths, which partners with schools to support the learning of the subject, said it was fantastic to see the growing popularity of maths and further maths at A-level. “For too long we’ve seemed to be a society which celebrates being ‘bad’ at maths, and it’s great this is shifting.”
However, he said too many children were still abandoning maths at 16. “Our recent research has shown that around 30,000 pupils who are high attainers in maths at primary school are being ‘lost’ as they become disillusioned with the subject once they start secondary.”
Du Sautoy echoed his concerns: “We still have a lot of catching up to do with other countries. The UK is something of an outlier when it comes to allowing students to drop maths at 16. Most other countries require their students to keep doing maths till they leave school at 18.”
Golding remained optimistic. “The culture is changing. Fifteen years ago, if I went to a social gathering and said I work in maths education, that would be the end of the conversation, and it really is not these days.”
