Schools Enrichment Fund

Schools Enrichment Fund

The Schools Enrichment Fund exists to provide financial support for mathematical activities which fall outwith the normal school curriculum. The aim of the fund is to encourage talented young people to develop an interest in mathematics through imaginative projects or events. Anyone, whether or not they are a member of the Society, may apply for a grant from this fund for a Scotland-based mathematical activity.

What sort of activities do we fund?

In the past we have supported a wide range of activities. The following list is not exhaustive nor in any order of priority, and we would be very happy to receive applications for other types of activity.

• Transport for pupils from isolated rural schools to attend events such as Enterprising Maths.
• Maths Days for pupils from feeder primaries to help ease the primary-secondary transition.
• Maths clubs and “puzzle of the week” competitions.
• Mathematics Masterclasses.
• Revision events and study camps for Higher and Advanced Higher pupils.
• Whole-school maths “roadshow” events.
• Cross-curricular projects with a substantial mathematical element, such as mapping and building a scale model of the school.

Maths Week Scotland

The Schools Enrichment Fund aims to support enrichment activities all year round. There is a separate Maths Week Scotland Small Grants Fund for Maths Week Scotland events. If you are planning an event for Maths Week Scotland then please apply to the Small Grants Fund or another source of funding, as detailed on the Maths Week Scotland website.

As detailed below, decisions about awards from the Schools Enrichment Fund will be communicated starting from the end of September, and so you should not apply to the Schools Enrichment Fund if you are seeking support for an event in Maths Week Scotland.

Writing a good case for support

A good case for support makes it easy for the Committee to identify what the expected benefits of the activity are and confirm that it represents good value for money. The case for support should not normally exceed three pages of A4 and should cover the following points.

1. A description of the activity proposed. If it is in response to a particular need or if similar events have run successfully in the past then it would be helpful for us to know this.
2. Who will benefit from the activity and in what way. It is helpful for us to know how many pupils, of what age group(s), will be involved. We are happy to support events for small groups as long as it is clear why this is appropriate.
3. A financial breakdown of the total expenditure involved. We appreciate that it is often unrealistic to provide a very detailed budget a long time in advance, but please supply as much information as possible. In particular, if you are applying for money to purchase resources, please include details of the supplier and of the particular resources you intend to buy. (If an online catalogue reference is available then this is particularly helpful!) If the resources you have in mind are from a commercial supplier, we also advise you to check whether equivalent but less expensive resources are available elsewhere. For many activities, the FunMaths Roadshow material produced by the Liverpool Mathematical Society may be appropriate, and has been used successfully in the past; note that this requires photocopying / printing, so you would need to include these expenses in your application.
4. Details of any other applications made to support the activity and the dates when the results of such applications will be known. If non-financial support has been offered from other sources (e.g. staff giving up their free time to run an event, or another institution providing free accommodation for it) then it would also be helpful to know this. We are especially keen to support events when there is evidence of strong support from the school or from the wider community, although we recognise that this is not always possible.
5. An explanation of why normal school funds will not provide support.

Applicants are welcome to discuss their proposal before submission with the Convener of the Education Committee, Dr Steven O’Hagan (s.ohagan@ed.ac.uk).

Application procedure

1. Applications will be considered monthly, starting in September, and continue until the Enrichment Fund budget for that academic year has been spent. Decisions about awards will be communicated by the end of the month in which they are considered. In a given month, only complete applications received before the end of the preceding month will be considered. We will not support events retrospectively.
2. Each institution will be restricted to at most two applications with a total limit of £700 in a single school year, although note that one application can cover multiple activities and it is expected that many applications will be for smaller amounts.
3. Applications should be made using the form linked below. A self-contained case for support should also be provided, following the guidelines above. It should not exceed three sides of typescript. Importance is placed on supporting activities for which funding is not available from normal school sources.
4. Applications will be considered by the Education Committee. In some cases we may offer part-funding or conditional funding, or invite applicants to submit a modified version that meets concerns raised by the Committee.
5. Awards will normally be paid to the applicant’s institution.
6. If an award is made, then once the activity has taken place a short report should be sent to the Society. This should include a brief, but complete, financial statement. The support of the Society should be acknowledged in any publicity material associated with the activity. Any profit from any activity supported by the Fund should first of all be used to refund the grant (pro rata with other awards received).

After reading the information above, please use the form linked below. Remember also to email your Case for Support to Georgie Colt (georgie.colt@icms.org.uk).

The Schools Enrichment Fund is now closed for the rest of the 2024-25 academic year. You may still apply, but you will not receive a response until the end of September 2025.