Over the past quarter of a century, maths education in England has made huge strides. Today, four in five young people leave compulsory education with at least a standard pass in GCSE maths – up from around 50 per cent in the 1990s.
Maths is now the most popular subject at A-level. Globally, England sits among the top-performing countries outside East Asia.
This is something to celebrate, and FE has played a crucial role. Colleges have enabled tens of thousands of students each year to achieve that vital GCSE maths pass.
But for all the progress made, one problem stubbornly remains: most young people still stop learning maths at 16.
In a world increasingly shaped by data, technology and AI, numeracy is a fundamental skill. Whether you’re managing a budget, weighing up risk or making sense of statistics, the ability to reason mathematically is more important than ever.
That’s why the Maths Horizons Project is calling for a 16-19 maths entitlement: a commitment to ensuring every young person continues learning maths beyond age 16, whatever path they’re on.
The aim of a 16-19 entitlement is not to push everyone into A-level maths. It’s about providing the right pathway for every learner – whether that’s core maths, a reformed resit offer or meaningfully embedded content in technical routes. It’s about ensuring every student builds fluency, confidence and the ability to apply maths in the real world.
We know from our international counterparts such as Singapore and the Netherlands that it is achievable for over 90 per cent of young people to reach the equivalent of a GCSE standard pass by 19. In England, it’s around 80 per cent.
Too many students resit without adequate time to revisit the topics holding them back. Some are re-entered just months after their first attempt, with minimal additional teaching time. This is demoralising for learners and teachers alike.
“It risks skill loss just as employers are wanting more“
For those who do pass at 16, most will never study maths again, risking skill loss just as employers are expecting more.
There is significant public support for a post-16 maths requirement. Public First’s polling for the Maths Horizons project found 72 per cent of respondents were in favour. Employers in sectors from engineering to retail report growing demand for numeracy, data literacy and quantitative reasoning.
Politically, this idea has come in and out of fashion. But it shouldn’t be partisan. While the last Conservative prime minister championed a version of this policy, the case for action is rooted not in ideology but principles of equity and national renewal. A 16-19 entitlement aligns with Labour’s aims to deliver rising standards, prepare young people for the future and break down barriers to opportunity.
Above all, this entitlement must be properly funded and flexible. That means continued investment in FE teaching capacity – including pay and workload reform – and clarity that this is a system-wide challenge, not something for colleges to shoulder alone.
It also means ensuring qualifications work for students. At Get Further, we’re recommending a new GCSE step qualification for students who leave school with the very lowest prior attainment in maths – a one-year course focused on the fundamentals to support progression to a full GCSE by the end of their compulsory education.
We must avoid creating alternative qualifications that lack the status or recognition of a GCSE. By signalling to employers who didn’t meet the required standard by age 16, this would risk cutting some young people off from opportunities – disproportionately affecting those with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds. Instead, we should make existing routes more meaningful and achievable.
We’ve come a long way. But we won’t go further unless we build on the foundations we’ve laid. A 16-19 maths entitlement is the logical next step. We can become the country others look to on maths education and ensure every young person leaves the system with the skills they need to thrive.
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