Anyone heading to Guildford Railway Station over the past 18 months couldn’t have helped but notice the impressive-looking building next door to it. Many might well have wondered what it is, which has now been confirmed as the purpose-built home of the Surrey Maths School.
The A-Level provider is a school that, as the name suggests, specialises in mathematics. Located off Mary Road, the school backs onto the River Wey and is close to the ODEON in Guildford, which will allow students to enjoy some downtime after their work is done for the day. This is the beginning of a new chapter for the school, which opened in 2024.
Surrey Maths School
The first cohort of Year 12 students joined Surrey Maths School in the September of 2024, heading to a location that offers an inspiring and dynamic ethos to those who attend. The aim of the school is to put together a community of ‘like-minded and inquisitive’ people, carrying out their studies in a location that has a focus on values like integrity, collaboration and compassion, as well as innovation and aspiration. The school is being run in collaboration with the University of Surrey, offering students a clear pathway to continue their studies beyond sixth form. Nora Kettleborough and Sahar Shillabeer are the school’s co-headteachers.
Young mathematicians of all backgrounds are promised an inspiring pathway into the world of STEM subjects, thanks to the innovative education on offer and the manner in which real-world applications of maths are explored. Located in central Guildford, the location means that Surrey Maths School is easy to reach for students both from Guildford itself and also from the wider area. Every student attending the school will take both maths and further maths, along with as many as two other options from physics, economics, chemistry and computer science, ensuring their participation in numerous different STEM subjects.
Finally Moving to Their New Home
For the students that have been attending the Surrey Maths School since it opened two years ago, the move into their new home is a welcome one. The school has been based on a temporary site for the past 18 months, which has allowed teaching to be carried out in spite of the lack of specifically built premises.
As a hub for maths in the South East of England, it is important that the Surrey Maths School is able to have a location that reflects the level of teaching being carried out there. The school is also able to carry out Outreach work for students in Years 5 to 13, widening the participation in maths for other youngsters.Speaking about the move, the co-headteachers said,
Opening our permanent home is an incredibly proud moment for the whole school community. This building gives our students an inspiring environment in which to learn, explore and develop their passion for the mathematical sciences. We are thrilled to finally welcome students into a space that reflects our values, ambition and commitment to excellence.
That was a sentiment reflected by the students, who referred to the new building as ‘bright, spacious and motivating’, saying that it ‘really makes you want to learn.’ All positive signs around the quality of the building.
A Significant Investment in the Future
In order to even get into the Surrey Maths School, students need to take an amplitude test as well as go through an interview stage. On top of that, anyone hoping to study there needs to get impressive GCSE results in both maths and science. The school is part of a national network that is specifically based on specialist maths schools, working closely with the University of Surrey. There are also partnerships with various industry experts, as well as local schools that are part of the Learning Partners Academy Trust. It is fair to say that this is about more than just ensuring that students can become stronger at maths.
A spokesperson for the school described the opening of the permanent home for the students as a ‘significant investment in the future of maths education in Surrey’. The hope is that it will also help to strengthen Guildford’s reputation as somewhere people will head to for both innovation and academic excellence. The good news for potential students is that there are still spaces available for the September 2026 entry, the deadline for which is the 12th of April. Younger students hoping to head there in 2027 or beyond can register their interest with the school, which will put them in good stead for the future.