It was an absolute pleasure to welcome young people and their families to our first set of Open Evenings, both online and in person. We have finished our series of Open Evenings for 2022, and we’re really looking forward to reading your applications to our Sixth Form.
The Guest Lecture from Dr Phil Ramsden from the department of mathematics at Imperial College London was well received by all. We learnt about the use of mathematics to encrypt information, to generate realistic CGI, to model infections, model airflow around an airplane wing and construct sound legal arguments based on probability. Maggie Dallman OBE (Vice President) and Andrew Tebbutt (Director of Outreach) from Imperial also talked about why Imperial are supporting the Maths School.
At the in-person events, it was great to see the stalls so busy. We had physics experiments lead by Imperial PhD students, great advice from the AMSP about why you should study maths beyond GCSE, and helpful information from Imperial about the career pathways and routes into STEM. Most of all, I was pleased to see so many young people getting stuck into some maths problems. You could feel the buzz of mathematics going on! See below for these problems and the solutions.
I hope that those of you who attended found my speech informative and I answered some of the questions you had. Of the questions that were asked across all the events, I have summarised the key questions and their answers below. I hope this is helpful. If you have any further questions, please email
admissions@iclms.ac.uk.
David Lee
Headteacher
Q: Is there a catchment area?
A: No, there is no catchment area. However, we encourage students to think carefully about how far they are able to travel daily to get to and from the school whilst managing the workload.
Q: Where can I find out more about the content of the A Levels?
A: On the curriculum section of our website there are further details about what you will learn in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry A Level.
Q: How many students are you accepting, and will it be competitive?
A: We will be accepting 40 students for September 2023. The school will then grow and take more students each year until we accept 100 students per year. In September 2024 and September 2025 we expect to enrol 60 students. We imagine it will be competitive, but we do not know how many students we expect to apply. We encourage students to apply if they are interested in the subjects and what the school offers. It will be a valuable experience and if you don’t apply, you will never know!
Q: What class sizes are you anticipating?
A: We expect to have class sizes of around 20 students per class.
Q: What is the level of the admissions test and how can I prepare for the admissions test?
The content of the admissions test is taken from GCSE mathematics only and includes less content that GCSE mathematics. You can find the full specification on our admissions page. One of the sections focusses on mathematical reasoning and thinking, rather than GCSE content. The admissions test is slightly different in style from a GCSE paper so we have produced a specimen paper so that you can familiarise yourself with the style of the paper. You can find the specimen paper and the mark scheme on our admissions page.
Q: Do I need to be studying Additional Maths or Further Maths to apply?
A: No, absolutely not. GCSE mathematics is entirely sufficient. Additional Maths and Further Maths Level 2 are great qualifications, and we encourage you to take them if they are available to you, but it is not a requirement. The same applies to things such as the UKMT Maths Challenges: whilst we would encourage you to participate if they are available to you, it is not a requirement.
Q: What does the personal statement involve?
A: The personal statement asks you to explain why you are applying to Imperial College London Mathematics School and why you think you would make a good candidate. We know this might be a daunting prospect but it will help us learn about you, so just be yourself. We suggest you write about 400 words and you might want to write about some of the following:
• Why you are interested in your subject choices
• Your career aspirations
• Your academic achievements so far
• Anything you have done that shows your interest in the subject(s) beyond your GCSEs
• What in particular about ICLMS appeals to you
• Other skills and qualities you have that you think would make you a good candidate for ICLMS.
Q: As the school is focused on mathematics, how will the school nurture the students and develop their skills holistically?
A: The year 12 research project will not just focus on academic skills, but will also help students develop their communication, teamwork and presentation skills. Each student will have a personal tutor who they will see regularly, and there will be at least weekly personal development lessons which address wide ranging issues and allow students to develop skills outside the STEM subjects. We will have a student council, and will set up societies, clubs and extra-curricular activities that match the students’ interests but also support the development of a wider skill set.
Q: Can I take five A Levels?
A: No, four A Levels is the maximum.
Q: Is there flexibility on the third A Level?
A: No, the third A Level must be either Physics or Chemistry.
Q: Do you accept students from overseas, and do you provide boarding?
A: If you will be living in the UK from August 2023, and you will be living with a parent or guardian who has right to remain, then you are welcome to apply. We do not provide boarding. Please note that the admissions test must be sat in person and we will be unable to facilitate remote sittings. If you are applying with qualifications other than GCSEs, you should still apply, but contact us by emailing admissions@iclms.ac.uk so we can assess your individual situation.
Any of the following criteria indicate eligibility to apply to ICLMS if you currently live overseas: EITHER (a) your family are entering the UK to work and have been given appropriate visas OR (b) your family are relocating to the UK and at least one of your parents is a British citizen OR (c) you have a UK passport or citizenship (even if your parents do not live in the UK and are not intending to) AND (d) you can demonstrate that your qualifications meet the equivalent of our minimum entry requirements (these can be found in our admissions policy). This can be achieved by attaining a statement of compatibility from UK ENIC (formally known as UK NARIC - National Recognition Information Centre for the UK).
We do not hold Tier 4 sponsorship with the UK Visas and Immigration and therefore are unable to consider students who wish to come to the UK just to study. If you are still unclear about whether you are eligible to move to the UK to study at ICLMS, you should contact UK Visas and Immigration.
Q: Do you use information about a student’s background when making offers?
A: One of our aims is to widen participation so when we assess a student’s application we look at the whole application, including their individual context and circumstances. However, we will not make any application decisions based on protected characteristics. This means that characteristics such as ethnicity, religion, gender or sex (amongst others) will have no bearing on your application. We welcome and encourage applications from students of all backgrounds and school history.
Q: Do I need to provide predicted grades?
A: The application form asks for your predicted or expected grades, but you should not worry if you do not have these available from your school. You should just enter what you expect to achieve. For those who are invited to interview, we will ask your chosen teacher referee for your predicted grades in January.
Q: What are the answers to the maths problems?
The questions and solutions to the maths problems can be found here. If you notice any mistakes, please email enquiries@iclms.ac.uk. Unfortunately there was a typo in question I on the printed questions, but this has been corrected in this version.