Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 2002 and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

in 2006 as part of the Government's

Specialist Schools programme The specialist schools programme (SSP), first launched as the Technology Colleges programme and also known as the specialist schools initiative, specialist schools policy and specialist schools scheme, was a government programme in the United ...

which was designed to raise standards in

secondary education Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...

Specialist schools Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...

focus on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the

National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or other ...

and deliver a broad and balanced education to all their pupils. Mathematics and Computing Colleges must focus on mathematics and either computing or ICT. Colleges are expected to disseminate good practice and share resources with other schools and the wider community. They often develop active partnerships with local organisations and their feeder

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

s. They also work with local businesses to promote the use of mathematics and computing outside of school. In 2007 there were 222 schools in England which were designated as specialist Mathematics and Computing Colleges. A further 21 schools were designated in combined specialisms which included mathematics and computing, and 15 had a second specialism in Mathematics and Computing. The Specialist Schools programme ended in 2011. Since then, schools in England have to either become an

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...

or apply through the Dedicated Schools Grant if they wish to become a Mathematics and Computing College. As of 2021 there are few Mathematics and Computing Colleges left in the United Kingdom.

References

External links

Vision for Mathematics and Computing Colleges, The Standards Site

Specialist Schools Programme
{{Specialist schools Computer science education in the United Kingdom Mathematics education in the United Kingdom 2002 introductions Specialist schools programme