Conversations with headteachers: University of Liverpool Maths School

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00:00Morning, Damian. I was wondering if you could possibly introduce yourself and tell me a

00:03little bit about the University of Liverpool Maths School.

00:06Yeah, I'm Damian Haig. I'm the headteacher at the University of Liverpool Maths School,

00:12which is a school that I opened in September 2020. We are a specialist 16 to 19 school.

00:22We deliver just four A-levels, maths, further maths, physics and computer science, plus

00:30a whole load of other stuff on top of that, to some of the most amazing students across

00:37Merseyside and the North West. We're a state school, there are no fees to pay and our students

00:44get a really special experience. I've been a maths teacher for 27, 28 years now. I have

00:52taught in a number of different schools around the North West. Before I was here, I was an

00:57assistant headteacher at Wilmslow High School, which is a very big 11 to 18 school in Cheshire.

01:04And a big contrast to here, which is a very small school, I have currently 106 students

01:11on roll at this school.

01:14Just explain to me the connection with the university. How does that sort of work?

01:18The university is a key sponsor. In the specialist maths school system, you're required to have

01:25a university with a strong maths department to support you in your work. The university

01:31is important for us in terms of the support it provides in terms of facilities and buildings,

01:36so we're housed in a university building, but it's also really important in providing

01:41that extra academic challenge and support.

01:44And you've touched on quite a lot of this already, but what does make the school special

01:48and what sets it apart from other sixth form colleges?

01:51Yeah, it's a very specialised curriculum, which won't appeal to everybody. So the students

01:58all start out on all four of our A levels. So they're doing double maths, computer science

02:03and physics. At the end of year 12, we'll talk to them about whether cutting down a

02:08little bit, maybe dropping computer science or maybe dropping physics would be better

02:13for them in terms of preparing them for university entrance. But actually, for most of our students,

02:20doing the A levels is a relatively small part of what they do. But it's also about developing

02:26them as mathematicians and scientists so that when they get to university, they're not overawed

02:33by the increase in challenge and that they got really well-developed independent study

02:39skills. They're really good at collaborating with each other and, for example, giving presentations.

02:44And sometimes our students have experienced bullying or social exclusion in their previous

02:49school because they love maths and they're really good at it. And so they're seen as

02:54somebody who's kind of different and their interests sometimes have been different to

02:59those of their friends or the other students in their class. When they come to us, suddenly

03:04they're in a much safer place. They're able to be themselves. And then we're able to take

03:08advantage of that newfound sense of safety in challenging them to go further with their

03:14maths but also to go further with their team working skills, their leadership skills and

03:18their communication skills.

03:20And just for you as your teacher in your time there, what are you proudest of?

03:27I suppose if I was to think about what it was right now, last Friday afternoon, I was

03:32interviewing students to become the leader of the student cabinet in school, so like

03:37our student council. And I interviewed seven students and they were all just inspiring

03:44and brilliant and lovely to talk to. And one of them said to me six months ago, I was at

03:52a different school and I can remember I would lie in bed in the morning and not want to

03:56get out of bed. And now I leap out of bed at six o'clock in the morning. I go to the

04:02gym and I arrive at school feeling really enthusiastic because this is where I want

04:06to be. This is the school I want to be at. I just look forward to coming to school every

04:10day. And I love it when students say things like that to me because that's kind of how

04:15I feel as well. You know, it doesn't feel like I work for a living anymore. I love what

04:20I do. It is quite hard work and quite stressful sometimes. But I get out of bed in the morning

04:25thinking, oh, great, I'm going to go to work again today. And that's, you know, that's

04:28a great feeling. And it's great to know that at least one of the students feels the same

04:33way. I think actually the truth is, it's a lot of the students. They really, we notice

04:38a big difference for students who've been unhappy at school before they come to us.

04:44Sometimes it takes a few months for them to come out of their shells and make friends

04:48and really settle down. But once they're settled, they never want to leave. And it's kind of

04:54it's really quite sad at the end of year 13 when we say goodbye to them and they don't

04:58want to leave either. You know, they've had such a great time. They'd happily stay here

05:01forever some of them.

05:03Thank you so much, Damien.

05:05Great. Thanks, Amber. Great to meet you.

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