The King’s Factor

The King’s Factor is a free after-school programme that brings together students from Year 12 and Year 13 and gives them the opportunity to build their mathematical skills in a supportive environment. The programme consists of a series of after-school sessions led by staff from the Department of Mathematics at King’s College London and colleagues from King’s Maths School, supported by our talented undergraduate students.

In each session, sixth form students work through a variety of interesting mathematical problems to help them prepare for A Levels, university entrance exams, and further study. Students can also access academic lectures and careers talks throughout the year, further broadening their understanding of current research in Mathematics.

The programme gives students the chance to expand their knowledge of Mathematics beyond the boundaries of the school curriculum and in doing so, aims to build their confidence in the subject. Nevertheless, The King’s Factor is not just about helping students to achieve excellent exam grades. By providing a valuable insight into life at university, the programme also intends to open students’ eyes to the varied opportunities and pathways available to them after sixth form.

In the long term, The King's Factor aims to promote further diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) career fields by increasing the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds who go onto study a STEM subject at university.  As such, The King's Factor is designed to improve students’ perception of Mathematics and its applications.

Application process

Applications will be open from 18 September 2023 to 1 October 2023.

We accept applications from any Year 12 or Year 13 student who attends a school/sixth form/college in the Greater London area.

Students should be studying Mathematics and/or Further Mathematics at AS/A Level.

The King’s Factor is not restricted to those who intend to apply to King’s, nor to those who want to study Mathematics at university – the programme is for everyone who enjoys the subject. As the programme is over-subscribed, we prioritise students who:

• attend a non-selective state school;
• live or have lived in local authority care;
• are young carers;
• have a disability or learning difficulty;
• attended The King’s Factor in the previous academic year. 

Additional spaces may become available throughout the year. Please contact kingsfactor@kcl.ac.uk to enquire about the possibility of joining the programme after applications have closed.

Impact of The King's Factor

The benefits of The King’s Factor for attendees are clear and far-reaching. In a survey of those who took part in the programme in 2020-21, 98% of students agreed that they were more confident in their mathematical ability after attending the sessions, and 81% of students expected to perform better at A Level. With 73% of respondents indicating that The King’s Factor positively influenced their decision to pursue a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) subject and almost half of respondents indicating that The King’s Factor influenced their decision to apply to university, it is evident that the programme can make a difference to young people’s outlook and future.

Since its establishment in 2011, The King’s Factor has provided mathematical tuition to almost 1,000 sixth formers. In 2019, the programme won a King’s Award for ‘Most Significant Commitment to Widening Participation and Social Mobility’ in recognition of the number of young people it has helped.

The interactive aspect of the programme as well as the challenging nature of the problems have all improved my mathematical ability, made me a more confident mathematician, and enhanced my love and passion for mathematics

I would just like to say how thankful I am to you and those involved in the running of the King’s Factor, as it has for the last 2 years been a great help to me and my friends. You gave us support, a structured environment, maths, food and chalkboards and helped us to get through our exams and into university.