Maths is a strength of the school and this is reflected in our outstanding results, both in exams at GCSE and A-level, but also in terms of students becoming interested in Maths and taking it beyond school to university. We are consistently one of the top-performing schools in Oxfordshire, both within the State and independent sectors.
The department consists of Maths specialists who are passionate about the subject. Teachers encourage students to see Maths as a problem solving field where students are pushed to explore the structures threading through Maths and interconnecting the discipline.
Many students are keen to explore Maths outside the classroom and we are one of the very few schools in the area (both state and independent) to offer Maths extracurricular activities for every Key Stage. We run a total of 10 extracurricular clubs across the Maths team. These include Maths Clubs which push the highest-attaining students, Maths Clinics where students get support with classroom Maths and Maths-related activities, such as Chess Club.
Apart from regular weekly events, we also offer one-off mathematical experiences. For the past few years we have been a hub for Team Maths Challenges, with teams from over 20 schools coming to Matthew Arnold to compete in the Regional Final. We have also started our own Maths competitions, one for schools in our Trust and one for our primary schools. In summer students have a Maths day off timetable where we organise Maths-related activities for the whole school day.
Our students perform very well in national Maths competitions. Every student takes an in-house Maths Challenge and we pay for 60 students from each year group to take part in the UKMT version. Every year our students qualify for subsequent rounds, the Kangaroo and Olympiad. We support students with preparing for these and introduced a system whereby each pupil gets an individualised feedback sheet advising them on their strengths and weaknesses from past Challenges.
In Sixth form our already popular A level Maths and Further Maths courses are seeing substantial growth in students wishing to take them. Many students decide to take Maths or Maths-related undergraduate courses and we actively support students in preparing for these. Our weekly Hardy Club often incorporates questions from past university entrance exams (TMUA, MAT, STEP) and we are one of the few schools to offer entrance exam mocks. Many of our students apply to read Maths and in 2026 seven of our Year 13s applied for Maths at Oxbridge, with more applying to Maths-related subjects and/or to other Russell Group universities.
Monday 3.15 in B12: Maths Club. Exploring topics beyond the curriculum. In partnership with Axiom Maths. Open to all. Lasts 1 hour
Tuesday: 3.15 in B12: Maths Club. Similar to Monday Club but faster pace. In partnership with Axiom Maths. By invitation (ask Mr Hurst/Mr Yousaf). Lasts 1 hour
Tuesday 3.15 in B1: Maths Clinic. Bring questions you found difficult in class or have a go at homework. Open to all. Lasts 1 hour
Tuesday Lunch in B5: Chess Club. Come by yourself or with friends to learn about and play the elegant game
Monday 3.15 in B1: Further Maths Club. Helping to prepare for GCSE Further Maths. Open to all. Lasts 1 hour
Wednesday 3.15 in B6: Club for Interesting Problems. Exploring interesting problems requires deep thinking. Helpful for Olympiad preparation. Open to all. Lasts 1 hour
Wednesday 3.15 in B2: Maths Clinic. Bring questions you found difficult in class or have a go at homework. Open to all. Lasts 1 hour
Tuesday Lunch in B5: Chess Club. Come by yourself or with friends to learn about and play the elegant game
Tuesday 3.15 in B2: Maths Clinic. Bring questions you found difficult in class or have a go at homework. Open to all. Lasts 1 hour
Tuesday lunchtime. Maths Society. Student-run society exploring interesting mathematical ideas. Sometimes with guest speakers. Open to all. Lasts 35 minutes.
Friday 3.15 in B12: Hardy Club. Exploring interesting problems requires deep thinking. Helpful for Olympiad preparation and university entrance exams. Open to all. Lasts 1 hour
