The partnership between Manchester’s universities

Together, Manchester’s universities have a track record of innovation and achievement in the STEM subjects.

Their heritage includes great minds such as the WWII codebreaker Alan Turing and breakthroughs including the first stored-program computer and the wonder material graphene.

From Alan Turing to Ernest Rutherford, Brian Cox and Danielle George, scientists based in Manchester have inspired millions across the world. By working with Man Met and local schools, we hope to create the same sense of wonder in our classrooms.

University of Manchester maths academic volunteer

They lead the world in mathematics education research, from curriculum design to how mathematics applies to art, philosophy and society.

Manchester’s maths challenge

Improving the opportunities of young people is a regional priority. More than two-fifths of all young people in Greater Manchester leave school without the equivalent of five GCSEs including English and Maths (source: Our people, our place: The Greater Manchester Strategy) a key indicator of future success.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has a target to support schools to drive up levels of achievement and close the gaps in performance seen across the city-region.

Addressing these inequalities is a wider-reaching challenge than can be solved in the classroom. So how can schools give our learners the best possible start? And how can our universities support them?

Finding the solution together

Manchester Metropolitan has deep roots in the community, taking students from our city and its surroundings and feeding back through partnerships with schools and colleges. This initiative is a great opportunity for our universities to join forces and increase our impact.

Professor Yvette Solomon / Professor of Education, Manchester Metropolitan

Engagement and Enjoyment in Mathematics Education (EEME) aims to increase the confidence of learners and teachers alike by helping them build on existing best practice and develop a fresh perspective on maths.

Together, The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University will give teachers access to the latest research and help them apply this to their practice.

But we also want to work closely with our city’s schools and educational organisations to understand the needs of teachers and learners, helping to remove the barriers to engagement and enjoyment of maths.

Priorities for the partnership

Our universities will be collaborating on a range of priorities:

The national and local collaborative mathematics education projects on which I’ve engaged with the universities have been consistently well received and the evaluations have been extremely positive. Working with the universities has had impact on the wider maths community and empowered colleagues to develop their professional practice.

Simon Mazumder FIMA / Lead at the North West One Maths Hub
  • Coordinating and publicising opportunities for teachers and learners to engage with mathematics at university, particularly around the key transition phases between primary, secondary and post-16 study.
  • Increasing engagement, enjoyment and confidence with mathematics, and studying the impact of these.
  • Establishing and strengthening partnerships with schools, supporting excellent and innovative teaching through research and continuing professional development. This will increase opportunities for current university students on maths-related course to have high-quality experiences in the classroom and inspire more mathematics students to become teachers.
  • Using our research expertise to build a shared understanding of the challenges for mathematical education and achievement across Greater Manchester, particularly to address gaps in areas of disadvantage. This will help reduce barriers by making our research more widely available and accessible.
  • Working with schools and partners such as the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of mathematics and the three Maths Hubs serving schools in and around Greater Manchester to identify research projects and future development opportunities.

Key areas of support