LUSoM's winning formula

Earlier this year, our education team saw the completion of the Lancaster University School of Mathematics (LUSoM) which is a specialist education facility run by the Rigby Education Trust in partnership with Lancaster University and Cardinal Newman College. The school, which is located close to the Cardinal Newman College campus in Preston aims to recruit 260 of the brightest and most talented 16-19 year old maths pupils from across Lancashire, regardless of background, and brings them into an inclusive community of other exceptional pupils.

The education team at Pozzoni is incredibly passionate about the sector. We enjoy designing learning environments for students to help them maximise their potential. We were particularly excited to secure the LUSoM commission in 2021, as the brief for this scheme was quite unique, being informed by best practice learning principles from around the world, particularly the ‘Shanghai model’ which has proven to be a very successful way of teaching mathematics across South Asia.

There is a focus on the provision of a wide range of open flexible learning spaces throughout the building which are used for teacher tutorials, group and solo working, whilst also having a dual function as social spaces. In addition to these, there are a number of more typical teaching spaces designed specifically for the sciences, computing and mathematics. Ceramic whiteboards line the large extent of the walls in all of these spaces in order to encourage pupils to work on formulae in a flexible, interactive manner.

To reinforce the unique learning philosophy within the design solution, we have created a multi storey ‘atrium’ type space at the link between the first floor auditorium and the main teaching wing. This feature space has been designed to carry out a number of functions including being a welcome space, light well, open learning and circulation. The first floor auditorium serves as the curriculum ‘heart’ of the school and has been designed to be highly flexible in order to be able to shift from small meeting scenarios, large events for up to 400 people, as well as examinations.

As only the third specialist maths school supported by a University in the UK, LUSoM has been a complex and thoroughly rewarding project, and one our team is immensely proud to be part of. We hope pupils at LUSoM and across the world enjoy the World Maths Day challenges 2023.