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News
The Hg Foundation expands national provision of the mA*ths Online Programmes to support an additional 2,600 underrepresented A Level Maths and Further Maths students.
The Hg Foundation is pleased to announce the national expansion of the mA*ths Online Programmes, thanks to a major collaboration with Imperial College London and Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI). The University of Warwick and University of Bath have been welcomed to the network this year, with a tender now open to recruit up to two additional university partners, made possible by co-funding from XTX Markets managed by Purposeful Ventures. This expansion will reach a further 2,600 students, bringing the total reach since launch to 4,200.
In January 2019, Imperial College London launched the mA*ths Online Programmes to support A Level Maths students from underrepresented backgrounds to secure top grades and progress into competitive STEM degrees. The programme expanded in 2020 to include Further Maths provision through a partnership with The Hg Foundation, this later extended to a successful regional pilot at The University of Manchester in 2023. MEI collaborated with Imperial to create the original programme content and have continued to support the network as its Maths partner.
In Spring 2025, The Hg Foundation launched the second phase of expansion to increase regional reach. Following a competitive tender process, the University of Warwick and University of Bath were selected as the new partners. Both universities launched their inaugural Year 12 A Level Maths cohorts in January 2026.
The Foundation has now fully transitioned into running the Central Hub for the mA*ths Online Programmes, providing overall management and stewardship for the network to support its development and regional growth. This includes facilitating an ongoing independent evaluation with FFT, to assess the impact of the intervention on A level attainment and university progression.
The Central Hub is now launching the third phase of the mA*ths network expansion and inviting up to two additional universities to join the network, for delivery of the mA*ths Online Programmes from the 2026/27 academic year.
Having been involved with the mA*ths Online Programmes for more than seven years, I’m really proud to see how far they have come. The programmes’ intended national coverage has truly been accelerated through the addition of regional hubs – bringing in local expertise to help reach students in parts of the country that are often the hardest to serve. Our ambition is to continue to see more A Level students from underrepresented backgrounds receiving high-quality Mathematics support, helping them to access the most competitive STEM degrees and progress into tech and other STEM careers; so we are delighted to launch the next tender round to extend provision to up to two further locations.
I’m delighted to see that a programme developed at Imperial in collaboration with MEI and generously supported by the Hg Foundation is growing into a national network to reach even more students. The limited access to top grades in A Level Maths and Further Maths for students from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM is creating a barrier to entry for the most competitive courses. Through this network Imperial shows its continued commitment to attracting the best and brightest students irrespective of their background.
MEI is delighted to be a partner in the expanded mA*ths Online Programme. Supporting progression in maths so that students from underrepresented backgrounds achieve excellent outcomes is a central priority for MEI.
About The Hg Foundation:
The Hg Foundation’s vision is that the tech workforce of the future harnesses the talents of all, regardless of background; the charity supports education and employment programmes for underrepresented groups across the UK, Europe and North America. (thehgfoundation.com)
About Imperial College London:
We are Imperial – a world-leading university for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business (STEMB), where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact. (http://www.imperial.ac.uk/)
About Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI):
MEI is an educational charity that transforms lives through maths education. MEI works with schools, colleges and teachers to provide students with the best possible maths learning experiences, providing educational support and tools to inspire and develop mathematical proficiency and foster opportunities for all. (https://mei.org.uk/)
About XTX Markets:
XTX Markets is a leading algorithmic trading firm which uses state-of-the-art machine learning technology to produce price forecasts for over 50,000 financial instruments across equities, fixed income, currencies, commodities and crypto. Since 2020, XTX Markets has committed over £350 million to charities and non-profit partners, establishing the firm as a major philanthropic donor in the UK and globally. (www.xtxmarkets.com/philanthropy)
About Purposeful Ventures:
Purposeful Ventures partners with social entrepreneurs and philanthropists to improve the education and well-being of young people from their earliest years. We do this by selecting, accelerating and, where we find a gap, incubating organisations which tackle particular issues. Together, we test and scale effective solutions and influence system change. (www.purposefulventures.org)
About The University of Manchester:
The University of Manchester is the first and most eminent of England’s civic universities. As a centre of teaching excellence, world-class research, outstanding student experience, and social responsibility, with a long history of work to widen access to higher education, we are the most targeted university by the UK’s leading graduate employers (The Graduate Market, High Fliers Research, 2026). (https://www.manchester.ac.uk/)
About the University of Warwick:
Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment and challenge convention to create a better world. (www.warwick.ac.uk)
About the University of Bath:
The University of Bath is a leading UK research university, ranked in the top 10 nationally, with a strong commitment to widening access and participation. More than half of its undergraduate degrees require top A-Level Maths grades, spanning engineering, sciences, economics, management and beyond. It makes mathematical attainment a critical gateway to study at Bath and one the University is keen to support all students with. (http://bath.ac.uk)
About FFT Education DataLab:
FFT Education Datalab produces independent, cutting-edge research on education policy and practice. They are expert analysts of education data and use these skills to produce impactful reports, visualisations and policy recommendations. (https://ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/)
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