Alex Gerko, the publicity-shy billionaire behind quantitative trading firm XTX Markets, is stepping further into the education arena with plans to bankroll a new specialist mathematics school in London. The initiative, revealed in a recent Financial News London report, marks one of the most notable private interventions in UK maths education in recent years and underscores Gerko’s growing influence as a philanthropic force in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The project aims to nurture exceptional mathematical talent in the capital, amid mounting concerns over the UK’s skills pipeline and the global race for quantitative expertise.
Alex Gerko’s latest education push London maths school backed by XTX boss
In a move that underscores the growing nexus between high finance and education policy, Alex Gerko, the quantitatively driven founder of XTX Markets, is channelling trading-floor capital into the classroom.The new specialist institution, slated to open in London, is designed to cultivate students with the kind of deep numerical fluency and problem‑solving mindset that underpins modern algorithmic trading, data science and AI research. According to people close to the project, the school will focus on rigorous A‑level maths and further maths, supported by targeted enrichment programmes and close collaboration with universities and industry. Early plans point to small class sizes,intensive mentoring and open‑access events for pupils from state schools across the capital.
The initiative forms part of a broader push to tackle the UK’s chronic shortfall in advanced STEM skills, especially among under‑represented groups. Gerko’s backing comes with an insistence on merit‑based admissions, no tuition fees and a clear commitment to widening participation beyond the customary catchment for elite maths education. Key strands of the project include:
- Scholarship-style support for travel, laptops and exam fees.
- Outreach workshops in partnership with London comprehensives.
- Industry-led masterclasses from quants, engineers and researchers.
- Data‑driven tracking of student progress and attainment gaps.
| Focus Area | Planned Outcome |
|---|---|
| Advanced Maths Teaching | Higher A* rates at A‑level |
| Access & Inclusion | More pupils from low‑income postcodes |
| Industry Links | Internships & mentoring pathways |
| University Progression | Stronger pipelines to top STEM degrees |
How the new maths school plans to transform STEM talent in the capital
The institution is being designed less as a traditional sixth form and more as a precision-engineered pipeline for high-impact quantitative talent. Backed by Alex Gerko’s quantitative trading fortune, the school will immerse students in intensive problem-solving, collaborative research projects and real-world data challenges drawn from finance, technology and engineering. Core teaching will be supplemented with industry-led seminars, hackathons and coding labs, creating a bridge between advanced theory and the sort of applied maths used on London’s trading floors and in its fast-growing AI and fintech sectors. The aim is to equip students not only to ace Olympiad-level questions,but to tackle messy,ambiguous problems that mirror those faced in high-stakes STEM careers.
Crucially,the school is positioning itself as an engine of social mobility as much as academic excellence. It plans targeted outreach across London boroughs, with bursaries, travel support and tailored mentoring designed to draw in pupils who might otherwise never consider elite STEM pathways. Key features will include:
- Deep specialism in maths, further maths, computing and physics, with extended hours for enrichment.
- Partnerships with universities, hedge funds, tech firms and research institutes for work placements and guest teaching.
- Access programmes for underrepresented groups, including girls and pupils from low-income households.
- Alumni tracking to monitor progression into top universities and high-skilled STEM roles.
| Focus Area | What It Delivers |
|---|---|
| Advanced Curriculum | University-level maths by age 18 |
| Industry Links | Real data sets, live projects |
| Outreach | Broader intake from across London |
| Talent Pipeline | Ready-made recruits for STEM employers |
Inside the funding model what XTX’s support means for UK state education
At the heart of the initiative is a funding structure that blends private capital with public accountability. XTX’s contribution is understood to cover the heavy-lift items that the Department for Education often struggles to prioritise at scale: specialist facilities,enrichment programmes and competitive salaries for top-tier teachers. In practice, that can translate into:
- Upfront capital for labs, data suites and collaborative learning spaces
- Ringfenced budgets for competitions, Olympiad training and outreach
- Flexible funding to pilot new pedagogies and technology-led teaching
| Funding Area | State Provision | XTX Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Recruitment | Standard pay scales | Enhanced packages & training |
| Student Support | Basic pastoral care | Mentoring & university guidance |
| Enrichment | Limited clubs | Advanced maths, coding & research projects |
The broader implication for UK state education is a live test of how philanthropy can accelerate ambition without undermining equity. Unlike fee-charging schools, the new institution will remain fully state-funded for its core operations, with XTX’s money acting as an overlay rather than a replacement for public cash.That model raises uncomfortable questions about geographic fairness but also points to a template that could be replicated in other under-served areas if similar backers step forward. For policymakers, the experiment offers a real-time look at whether targeted private investment can move the needle on outcomes in high-end STEM education faster than the traditional budget cycle allows.
Policy lessons from the City why targeted philanthropy matters for maths education
London’s financial district has long understood that talent pipelines are built, not found, and this latest initiative underscores how refined, targeted giving can address systemic gaps in maths education. Rather than scattering donations across generic causes, directing capital into a specialist school aligns closely with the skills the City actually needs: advanced quantitative literacy, data fluency and problem‑solving under pressure. This is philanthropy that behaves like smart capital allocation, channelling resources where marginal impact is highest and outcomes can be measured in years, not news cycles. It also quietly rewrites the narrative of who “belongs” in high finance by opening doors to students who would never or else see themselves in that ecosystem.
For policymakers, the project acts as a live case study in how public frameworks and private initiative can be made to reinforce each other rather than collide.When a hedge fund founder opts to build a maths school rather than a vanity building,it highlights the advantages of:
- Precision over scale – backing a focused institution rather of diffuse,low‑visibility programmes.
- Curriculum co‑design – drawing on City expertise to keep teaching aligned with real‑world quantitative work.
- Access safeguards – ensuring selection is based on potential, not postcode or parental income.
- Data openness – using clear metrics to track attainment and progression into STEM fields.
| Target Area | Policy Insight |
|---|---|
| STEM Attainment | Concentrated investment can lift results faster than broad reforms. |
| Social Mobility | Selective maths schools can widen, not narrow, opportunity with the right intake rules. |
| Industry Skills | Direct links to the City keep teaching relevant to future labor market needs. |
Future Outlook
Whether Gerko’s latest intervention proves a catalyst for broader change in UK maths education remains to be seen. But his decision to channel trading fortunes into classrooms rather than trading floors underscores a profound shift: in the competition for quantitative talent, the real battleground may no longer be the City, but the school corridor.As applications open and plans for the London maths school gather pace, policymakers, rival firms and educators alike will be watching closely. If the experiment succeeds, it could offer a new blueprint for how private capital and public education intersect – and how the next generation of quants is shaped long before they reach the Square Mile.
