Mentoring
The UKMT Mentoring Scheme provides sets of challenging and engaging problem sheets each month to help young people develop their problem-solving skills.
There are nine programmes, named after renowned mathematicians, to help students with a range of experience. View the samples below.
Applications for 2026/27 are now OPEN! Please read the information below before applying.
What are the programmes?
The UKMT’s Mentoring Scheme provides young people who have an enthusiasm for mathematics the opportunity to tackle challenging problems with the one-to-one support of an experienced mentor. The programmes help pupils to develop their problem-solving skills, and their ability to give written explanations of their solutions.
PLEASE NOTE: You can apply to be a UKMT Mentor by emailing volunteering@ukmt.org.uk. You’ll be sent further details to sign up for the 2026/27 mentoring series once it is available.
Please read the details given on this webpage before submitting an application.
Note that as each programme progresses through the eight sets of problems, mathematical concepts are developed and the tasks become more complex. Mentees are encouraged not to skip any of the sheets, but also not be disheartened if they start to struggle. This is where communication with their mentor is vital.
School-led programmes
How it works
The first three levels of the Mentoring Scheme (Pythagoras, Hypatia and Archimedes) are designed for in-school Mentoring. These sheets follow the same format as the latter levels, but start with Year 7 and some Year 8 (England and Wales), Year 8 and 9 (Northern Ireland) and S2 and S3 (Scotland) topics.
View UKMT’s Guidance for Teachers.
UKMT Mentor-led programmes
How it works
Programmes 2-9 of the Mentoring Scheme (Hypatia, Archimedes, Cartwright, Robinson, Noether, Neumann, Hardy and Ramanujan) are led by UKMT Mentors. Hypatia and Archimedes are newly available to UKMT-led mentoring as of 2026/27.
Nominate a student
MENTORING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2026/27 ACADEMIC YEAR ARE NOW OPEN.
Teachers may submit one student from their school via this form.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE 16th SEPT 2026.
Partner with a mentor
Based on the level of work that the student will undertake, UKMT will select a mentor for them.
They are then set up with a UKMT Google account and sent an invitation to their mentor’s Google Classroom.
Collaborative problem solving
Each month, a new UKMT problem sheet will be released to the mentee via Google Classroom. They will try to solve the problems while communicating with their mentor, who will provide guidance and share good practice.
For maximum benefit, the mentoring process should be a continual and collaborative exchange.
Solutions and the next sheet
Later that month, before the next set of materials, the solutions will be released. During that week, they can ask any questions that they have about their work and prepare for the next sheet.
The Mary Cartwright, Julia Robinson, and Emmy Noether programmes require confidence with all Key Stage 3 content and some GCSE content or, for students in Scotland, require fourth level content and some National 5 content.
The Hanna Neumann, G.H. Hardy and Srinivasa Ramanujan programmes assume that students are confident with the entirety of GCSE or National 5 content, and are best suited to students studying A levels or Highers/ Advanced Highers.
Meet our Mathscots
Meet a UKMT Mentor
Mentor Stories
Be inspired by UKMT’s brilliant mentors who give hours of their time to support the charity’s challenges and events.
Important information about applying:
– The application form must be filled out by a teacher from a UKMT-registered school.
– Schools may have a maximum of one student on the programme at a time.
– New mentees must be 14 or under on August 31st 2026.
– New mentees must be in Year 8, 9 or 10. (Or their Scottish/Northern Irish equivalents)
– The deadline for 2026/27 applications is Wednesday September 16th 2026.
Please note: Due to the limited number of spaces on the programme, and the large number of applicants each year, we cannot guarantee that your applicant will be assigned a mentor. We do our best to ensure that as many places as possible are available.
FAQs
General
What are the criteria for being accepted into the Mentoring Scheme?
There are no official criteria, just that the teacher thinks that their student/s could benefit from mentoring and are at the level required. Further guidance can be found in this document.
What is the structure of the Enrichment Mentoring Scheme?
There are eight sheets per programme. Sheets for UKMT-led programmes are sent out on the second Tuesday of every month, and the final date for submission is the first Monday of the following month.
Sheets for school-led programmes (Pythagoras, Hypatia and Archimedes) are all available immediately (to UKMT registered centres).
When does the scheme start?
The scheme runs for eight months from October each year.
How long does the Enrichment Mentoring Scheme last?
Mentoring lasts until students withdraw from the scheme, move on to our Olympiad Mentoring Scheme or Advanced Olympiad Mentoring Scheme (OMS/AOMS), or finish secondary school.
Will solutions and guidance be provided?
Solutions and guidance will be made available to teachers delivering the first three levels of the scheme in schools. Solutions are provided to mentors, and collaboration between mentors is encouraged when extra support is required. For the first year as a UKMT Mentor, you will be supported by an experienced mentor – we are very lucky to have many volunteers who are happy to lend their experience to new mentors.
Does it cost money to enrol a student in Mentoring?
No, there’s no associated cost.
Do we allow students from outside of the UK to become mentees? Do we allow teachers from outside of the UK to become mentors?
We do not currently offer UKMT Mentoring to students outside of the UK. Teachers outside of the UK cannot become UKMT Volunteers.
Teachers
Can I mentor my own students?
The first three levels of the scheme (Pythagoras, Hypatia and Archimedes) are available to teachers for their use in schools, the other six levels are UKMT Mentor only. In extenuating circumstances, we may consider allowing a UKMT Mentor who is also a teacher to mentor their own student.
Can I apply for more than one student?
So that we can make the scheme fair and equitable, we try to give as many places to as many schools as possible. Mentors are a limited resource, so although all applications will be considered, we can’t guarantee more than one place per school.
What commitment is expected from the school?
We expect teachers to support students by checking in regularly, once they have joined the scheme. It is important to not only select students who are capable of doing the work, but who are also committed to the process of being mentored, by staying in touch with their mentor and seeking help where they need it.
Can I use the mentoring resources beyond Archimedes (Cartwright and up) with my students?
Because not all schools have the same resources available to effectively deliver the higher levels of the scheme, we don’t currently make resources beyond Pythagoras, Hypatia and Archimedes available to schools. This is something we are continuing to work on, but cannot currently provide an ETA as to when further resources may become available.
Materials for the Olympiad Mentoring Scheme can be requested by teachers, and you can find further information here.
Our books also give a lot of guidance on working through problems at all levels, and provide a useful supplement to the Mentoring Scheme.
Can we get certificates for Mentoring Scheme participants?
The primary goal of the Mentoring Scheme is to help students develop their problem-solving skills in a non-competitive environment. Opportunities to gain certificates are available through the competitions we run. Our books make for great prizes though!
Parents
Do you have any supplementary materials that could help with the scheme?
All of the problems are designed around the work your child will be doing in school, but UKMT does have competition papers and books, both of which can provide extra problems to work on.
What support can I give to my child?
We encourage parents to provide as much support as they can for their child as they take part in the Mentoring Scheme, but caution that work should always come from the student, and that collaborating with their mentor to reach a solution is far more important than getting things right first time.
If my child becomes discouraged or disillusioned with the scheme, how can I help?
The Mentoring Scheme is designed to encourage mentees to stretch themselves, but this should never be at the expense of their school work. Teachers will select the appropriate programme level, and it’s very important that this is managed carefully, so that the maximum benefit is gained.
If the level of work is too difficult for the student, they should talk this over with their teacher and mentor. You can encourage or help them to have these discussions, and if possible, help them directly, while remembering that this work is not marked, and does not all have to be completed each month.
Can I contact my child’s mentor?
No. All communication should be directed to UKMT at enrichment@ukmt.org.uk
Can my child’s mentor make contact with them, outside of the Mentoring Scheme?
Mentees are given an anonymised email address to set up their Google Classroom account. This address cannot be used to email out, and mentors cannot send emails to it. All communication between mentor and mentee happens in Google Classroom.
Can I access the mentoring materials for home schooling or tutoring?
At present the only way of accessing these materials is through a UKMT registered centre. We do have many other resources that are suitable for these purposes though, such as books and competition papers.
Mentors
How much of a time commitment is Mentoring for UKMT? Will I be expected to respond to mentees within working hours?
The amount of time taken up by mentors varies a good deal as it depends on how much support mentees ask for and need. The average is around one hour per week for each mentee, but in a few cases could be significantly more. We therefore normally suggest that a new mentor has just one mentee in their first year. Although mentoring can be quite time consuming, we have found that the more active mentors and mentees tend to find the programme more enjoyable and rewarding.
We remind mentees that their mentors are unpaid volunteers, and that therefore they cannot expect immediate responses when they ask for help. You are not expected to respond to mentees within working hours.
What platform will be used to mentor students on the UKMT Mentoring Scheme? Will I require training for this?
Google Classroom is the platform we will be using to deliver UKMT Mentoring. Experience with this is helpful, but not essential.
Can I choose which level of the scheme I mentor?
Yes. Please see our Guidance for Teachers document for assistance in selecting the appropriate level. We have further guidance in our Mentor Handbook.
What training is required to be a UKMT mentor? Do I need a DBS check?
As a new mentor you can be supported in your first year by an experienced mentor ‘buddy’. A DBS check and safeguarding training is required as standard for all UKMT volunteers.
What are UKMT looking for in a mentor?
An enthusiasm for mathematics is essential of course, but also a love of sharing the subject with young people. The ability to adapt your explanations to the online environment is important, and also remembering that your students will learn by doing – resist the temptation to tell them too much!
Finally, it’s essential that you are mathematically competent at the level at which you would like to mentor.
How do mentors communicate with mentees?
Communication with mentees is within Google Classroom. In future we may consider other options but obviously there are a number of safeguarding considerations.
