The University of Sheffield
School of Mathematics and Statistics (SoMaS)

Outreach and Schools Liaison

We are committed to sharing our passion and enthusiasm for mathematics with the local community and the wider world.

Here in the School, many of us can trace our mathematical journey back to an intriguing puzzle, a brilliant teacher, or the simple encouragement to ask "why?" and "what if?". Maths is an endlessly fascinating, inspiring, and profound subject, with myriad uses in the modern world. We hope we can have the chance to share the joys of our subject with you.

Many of us are engaged in public education, schools and outreach projects. Some of these projects are described below. For more information about these projects, of if you would like us to get involved with activities for your school or group, please contact Dr. Sam Dolan (Schools Liaison)

Newsletter for Schools

The Summer 2013 Newsletter for Schools is now available.

Maths Academy

The Maths Academy is open to all local A-level maths students who are looking for a new challenge. Come and stimulate your mathematical imagination! Our fortnightly classes, led by practicing mathematicians, will change your perception of mathematics, and expand your mind. The Academy is for anyone who enjoys learning for its own sake. We promise there will be no exams here!

For more information and booking details, contact Fionntan Roukema. The Maths Academy is currently offering two opportunities:

STEP Preparation Classes

STEP preparation classes at SoMaS provide a systematic introduction to the advanced problem solving skills required for Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP), which are exams used by some universities to assess applicants for undergraduate mathematics courses.

This course is free and open to A-Level mathematics students who can demonstrate the necessary commitment. Weekly sessions, Thu 4.30pm - 6.30pm, starting 6th Feb 2014. To book a place on this course or for further enquiries contact Dennis Almeida.

Further Maths Courses

The School runs several courses in association with the Further Maths Support Programme. For more information and booking details, please contact Dennis Almeida.

For school students:

For maths teachers:

The Pi-Cubed Programming Challenge

The winners of this national maths-and-programming challenge were announced in August 2013. Look out for the next Challenge, beginning early in 2014.

Maths on Youtube

Click below to see 10-minute lectures on various subjects in maths for A-level students or first year undergraduates delivered by the "The Mathsters" (aka Dr Eugenia Cheng).

The Mathsters (aka Dr Eugenia Cheng)

The Catsters: 10 minute lectures on Category Theory delivered by "The Catsters", aka Eugenia Cheng and Simon Willerton.

FunMaths activities

The FunMaths Roadshow is a collection of fun mathematical activities suitable for use with school pupils. The activities and props were developed at the University of Liverpool and we have the equipment to run a selection of these activities in Sheffield.

Public lectures and talks for schools

Many members of our staff give non-specialist lectures on a wide range of topics in mathematics and statistics. Below are some recent examples.

For more information on any of the above, please contact the Head of Schools Liaison for Mathematics and Statistics, Dr Sam Dolan.