The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) is a government-funded initiative that aims to support and inspire more students to study mathematics to Level 3 and beyond. It offers a broad package of support for state-funded schools and colleges, including a range of events for secondary and sixth-form students and their teachers, to encourage increased uptake of maths at both Level 3 and undergraduate level, including by supporting preparation for university admission tests.
Encouraging more students to study maths post-16 can, considerably, reduce the amount of work needed to upskill first-year undergraduate students who arrive at university without the required level of knowledge and skills to support them through their university studies. Including core maths in your published subject-specific admissions, similar to that of an EPQ, or including an alternative offer, could be a way to demonstrate to students the importance of holding a Level 3 maths qualification.
Further information is available in the AMSP’s HEI briefing document – this lists the five core maths qualifications which were being taught in schools and colleges in 2018/19. In January 2019, the Department for Education approved a new core maths qualification, the Level 3 Certificate in Mathematics for Everyday Life, which is offered by NCFE.
Please visit the AMSP website for more information on core maths, or email highereducation@amsp.org.uk with specific questions.