Imperial hosts inaugural research project finale for maths school students

Students from Imperial’s sixth-form maths school have shared their learnings from a programme of collaborative mathematical research projects.

Imperial recently welcomed the students and staff of Imperial College London Mathematics School (ICLMS) to the South Kensington campus to host the inaugural ICLMS Research Project Presentation Day and Finale.

Imperial College London Mathematics School is a specialist sixth-form maths school in north London, run in partnership with Imperial and Woodhouse College.

"It is a real pleasure to see the school coming into shape and this event demonstrated the benefits of universities working in partnership with schools to deliver excellent educational experiences and training." Professor Richard Craster Dean of Imperial's Faculty of Natural Sciences

Upon beginning their studies in September, the 43 students from the first Year 12 cohort of ICLMS were divided into small groups and each assigned a mentor from academia or industry who would set a project in their area of expertise with a mathematical theme for the group to consider. The mentor then guided the group through the project lifecycle, working towards a final project report, poster and group presentation at the finale event.

David Lee, Headteacher of Imperial College London Mathematics School said: "Students and mentors met regularly to get their heads around difficult mathematical concepts, but with an emphasis on students pursuing their own research and following their own ideas, rather than studying in the structured environment of a classroom. I would like to thank the mentors who have volunteered to take time out of their busy working lives to enrich the education of our students."

Project mentors included Professor Richard Craster, Dean of Imperial's Faculty of Natural Sciences, along with a handful of fellow Imperial academics, and many leading figures from a diverse range of industries.

Professor Craster said: "It was a highlight of my term attending and seeing all the enthusiastic students, proud parents and guardians and busy staff from the ICLMS. It is a real pleasure to see the school coming into shape and this event demonstrated the benefits of universities working in partnership with schools to deliver excellent educational experiences and training."

The finale event itself saw ICLMS students and their families, along with colleagues from across the Frontier Learning Trust (which houses ICLMS and Woodhouse College), attend a reception at Imperial’s South Kensington Campus, followed by presentations by the groups of students. Audience members had the opportunity to ask the students questions after their presentations, whose topics included Motor-Powered Shoes, Galaxy Rotation Curves and Dark Matter, Vessel Mooring, and Period Doubling and Chaos in Nonlinear Maps.

Guests were welcomed onto campus by Imperial’s Director of Outreach and trustee of Frontier Learning Trust, Andrew Tebbutt, and the Chair of Student Council at ICLMS, Max Chisholm.

Sugra Alibhai, CEO of the Frontier Learning Trust and Principal of Woodhouse College, said: "It was fantastic to see our students, parents and staff come together to celebrate students’ learning in this way. The students were thoughtful, engaging, and innovative. The support from Imperial College London for ICLMS has meant our students can access exceptional and unique learning opportunities such as this, and we are grateful to the team for their continued support."

Andrew Tebbutt, Director of Outreach at Imperial, said: "It was a real pleasure to welcome ICLMS students, staff and families to our South Kensington campus to celebrate the remarkable work that has gone into their research projects. This event exemplifies the spirit of partnership and collaborative learning that has already developed between Imperial and ICLMS."