King's Maths School

In your own words, what is King’s Maths School?

King’s Maths School is a special school that teaches the best mathematics in a way that prepares students to move on in their field and to the best universities.

What is exciting about King’s Maths School?

It’s very exciting because everything is studied in depth and with excitement. Maths is presented as an adventure! Every time we are introduced to a new topic, it becomes a journey to find a formula or the rule. We follow the footsteps of the mathematician or physicist, who discovered the theory or equation we are studying, and try to work in the same way they did to gain a greater understanding of their findings. 

What do you enjoy about learning here?

We never file through text books or are given the answer straight away, we have to try and find the answer ourselves! Every new topic is presented as a new problem, and with our teacher’s guidance, we begin to understand the principles of that problem. We continue to work on the topic, either as a group or independently, until we understand it fully and in depth.

What is your favourite subject to study? Why?

I enjoy different topics in all my subjects. I have particularly enjoyed Further Maths so far, the way you can take the square route of a negative number and quantify it…

What have the problem solving sessions been like? 

When we first began these sessions, I was quite surprised by the way we had to be so rigorous in our proofs. It is good that we are introduced to this way of working now, so when university comes around we understand that you can’t settle for an answer that kind of looks right and kind of makes sense. You have to provide solid proof through thorough working out, that is what I have learnt in these mentoring sessions. 

Tell me about the sports / exercise you have done at King’s Maths School?

I did football. It’s really good fun, even though I’m not particularly good, and playing with your classmates makes it even better. It’s definitely good to take a little break from maths, and exercise is good for your health anyway. During those times when you need to work, for example during exams, it’s important to have a break. This is a good way to relax, before getting back to work!

What are the teachers like?

The teachers are amazing! They are very kind, very nice, and they respect people of all abilities. As the school is so small, you get to bond with every single teacher, not just the ones that teach you. If you need help you can always go to them and they put the upmost effort into helping you and making sure you understand, both inside and outside of lesson time. They seem to know and learn a lesson properly themselves before delivering to their classes, so it comes from their head rather than a Powerpoint. It makes it more personal when they talk about maths, or their specialist subjects.

Do you attend any clubs or societies? 

Last year I attended Games Club and Chess Club. Games was really fun, playing alongside my classmates made it very enjoyable, and it was on a Friday evening so it was a good time to relax, laugh and have fun. Chess was also really good. In the middle of the year we had a big chess competition. As we are mathematicians, so many people new to the game picked up the rules quickly, meaning everyone could join in, which made the competition extremely competitive! Although chess is not specific to any subject, I find it beneficial to my studies as it teaches you to relax, think and to be optimistic. These skills can be transferred to into the classroom; when you come across a problem, you have to relax and look carefully at what you have before making your move.

What do you like about the structure of the school day?

We start a bit later than other schools, which is good as it gives me more time to prepare for the day. It is also beneficial for those who live further away from the school too. 

Has the school been helpful to you in the UCAS process?

The school has helped us a lot! We’ve had assemblies from UCAS, from Student Finance England, and other organisations, and that has really prepared us. Of course our teachers didn’t just tell us to write a personal statement and hand it in. They understand that sometimes, even though you know what skills you have or need, you don’t necessarily know how to express yourself on paper. So they began by giving us massive sheets to help us break down the content we need to provide, before producing a first draft. From now until our UCAS deadline, our teachers are always available for us to approach and to review our statements. Having mostly been through the process before, they use their experience to guide us through our applications, which helps a lot.

What subject do you want to study at university?

Maths, or maths with a minor. I was already interested in pursuing maths before arriving at the maths school, but the way I have been taught here has made me even more passionate about the subject, and made me feel that I want to extend my knowledge further. We are given a taste of university maths through our mentoring sessions, so if you enjoy these sessions, you should go for it!

What career do you want to go into?

I’m not sure at all. I believe my future will be influenced by maths, but I also want to be communicating with people and making decisions e.g. through negotiations and agreements. This might take me into business or investment banking, something like that.