Thousands of girls and pupils from disadvantaged secondary schools across England are set to benefit from a fresh injection of government funding aimed at boosting advanced maths education and paving pathways into careers in artificial intelligence.
Ministers have unveiled a £8.2 million package under the Advanced Maths Support Programme, with a particular focus on underrepresented groups, including young women and students attending schools in economically disadvantaged areas. The Department for Education confirmed the money will be directed towards 400 secondary schools, with an estimated 7,500 girls eligible to receive targeted support.
The initiative forms part of a wider government strategy to diversify and strengthen the talent pipeline for AI-related careers — an area that ministers believe will be critical to the UK’s future prosperity. Currently, girls make up only about a third of A-level maths students, and women account for just 22% of workers in AI and related sectors.
The newly announced funding will support a series of interventions, including student enrichment programmes and pilot training for teachers. From September, the Department expects 450 students and 360 teachers to directly benefit from the rollout.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stressed the need to open up opportunities for all pupils, particularly those historically underrepresented in STEM and emerging technology sectors.
“Today’s brightest maths minds are tomorrow’s AI pioneers,” she said. “And this government is opening the door for groups who have so far been left behind in the AI revolution. Through our plan for change, we are breaking down barriers to opportunity, backing our young people and going further and faster for AI growth — ensuring the next generation can progress in the exciting careers of the future.”
Tech Secretary Peter Kyle echoed these sentiments, describing artificial intelligence as “the defining technology of our generation”.
He said: “We can only harness that potential if we have a pipeline of talent equipped with the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow. This is the first step in our plan to give every young person in the country the opportunity to develop the tools which will put them front and centre in delivering our AI-powered future.”
In a further move to align education policy with the future demands of the labour market, Ms Phillipson announced the formation of an expert advisory group. The group will examine the changes required in the curriculum and wider education system up to the age of 18 to better equip young people for careers in AI and data science.
The advisory group will be chaired by Sir Kevan Collins, a respected figure in education policy and former chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation. He is currently a non-executive board member at the Department for Education.
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Sir Kevan is expected to lead the panel in a review that could prompt significant reforms to the way maths and technology subjects are taught in secondary schools, with an emphasis on inclusivity and future skills.
The government’s announcement has drawn cautious optimism from education leaders and campaigners, many of whom have long called for increased support to close gender and socio-economic gaps in STEM fields.
However, critics have urged ministers to follow through with long-term investment and structural changes, warning that short-term funding alone may not be enough to address deep-rooted inequalities in education.
As schools and teachers prepare to engage with the new funding and pilot programmes from September, the Department for Education will be closely monitoring the outcomes, hoping to inspire a new generation of female mathematicians, coders and AI specialists — from all walks of life.
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