We provide funding to your school to support the delivery of the programme. Each school receives a grant of at least £2997 per year (2025/26). Note: there may be a slight increase with inflation.
Our programme is long term. We want to commit to your pupils from Year 7 to Year 11.
First year of partnership
We double fund schools in their first year of partnership because we know that setting up something new in school comes with challenges.
This means your school receives funding to support your first Year 7 circle, and additional funding to cover the time and admin involved in setting up the programme for the first time.
Second year of partnership
In your second year or partnership, your school should continue with your original Year 7 group, now moving into Year 8, and a new Year 7 circle with your incoming cohort.
We continue to fund you at the same overall level as Year 1 – but the funding now supports the delivery of two circles (Y7 and Y8), rather than setup costs.
Third year of partnership
In the third year, it's time to add a new Year 7 circle while continuing to work with the existing two circles.
To support you with this, we offer an additional £1000 to support the new year group. If schools lack the capacity to manage three year groups, we will collaborate with you to find an alternative solution, for example by transferring pupils online or finding an external mentor.
Fourth and fifth year of partnership
Looking to the future, as you add more year group circles each year, you'll receive an extra £1000 per year group. For instance, in the fourth year, running circles in four year groups, yields £2997 for the initial two, plus £2000 for the additional two.
We do know this won’t be possible in every school and will work with you to find an alternative way of working, for example, we can transfer your pupils online or find an external in-school mentor.
How do schools use the initial funding?
Each school has the flexibility in how the funding is used, so long as it supports maths excellence and the delivery of the programme. Many allocate it as a Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payment for their Maths Excellence Coordinator, who leads the Axiom Maths programme in their schools. Other uses include:
- Creating capacity in the timetable for sessions to run during the school day
- Providing transport to and from sessions for pupils who need it
- Supporting maths-based trips, enrichment activities, or incentives for retention
We encourage senior leaders to collaborate with staff leading the circles on how the grant is used, ensuring transparency and impact.
When do schools receive the funding?
The funding is split into two equal instalments. The first half of the payment will be paid to your school shortly after the October half-term, subject to meeting these simple requirements:
- At least 6 pupils per year group have been registered on the Hub
- The register for the first maths circle for each year group on the programme has been completed
The second instalment will be paid shortly after the end of the Spring term, subject to the completion of these key requirements:
- Good progress is being made through the 30-session curriculum (with at least 15 sessions complete)
- Satisfactory performance and progress made towards the programme, e.g.
- Registers are completed and attendance monitored, with a particular focus on children from under-resourced backgrounds
- Completion of termly surveys and weekly session reflections.
- Advance planning for maths circles is completed, watching at least the introductory video, in order to deliver successful sessions each week, as designed
How can schools use the additional funding for extra year groups?
You could use this money to fund an additional mentor. This could be an existing member of staff in school or an external tutor that you already use. The funding is set at the approximate cost of paying for an experienced tutor for thirty hours. If this option will not work for you, then we can still support your pupils and will work with you to find the best solution for you.
Please do reach out to your Axiom Maths lead if you need further support or guidance around this. Contact us