NB: Can you give our readers a little background to Mathnasium?
Mathnasium is a brand that provides maths only tuition to children ages 4 to 16. Every learning centre is designed to create a fun, inclusive and motivational environment for all children whether they are struggling with maths, studying for exams or have a natural talent and are keen for a challenge.
OperatIng across 11 countries, 5 continents and with more than 1,100 centres supporting over 100,000 students every month, they really are achieving their mission; to help children understand and master maths, building confidence and skills through personalised learning plans and encouraging a life-long love of learning.
NB: When did Mathnasium cross the "pond" from LA and how receptive to the Mathnasium "method" has the UK been since
Mathnasium entered the UK market in 2017 and set to work ensuring materials were aligned to the UK curriculum and the business was piloted to prove the centre model. In 2020 the UK rights for development were purchased by a successful UK Mathnasium franchisee, John Preston and since then the brand has gone from strength to strength. John has built a credible, experienced franchise team and a great reputation with UK lenders which in turn is enabling a steady growth trajectory for the brand.
John said of the acquisition "When I left my career in investment banking, I wanted to find a business that had great potential, strong IP and resilience. Mathnasium absolutely provided me with that, I was able to run a very profitable business in a short amount of time and knew when the opportunity to acquire the development rights came about, we could deliver something exceptional to the maths tuition market at scale. Winning The BFA HSBC Franchisor of the year award in 2024 was one of our proudest moments yet and is testament to our team, our product and our fantastic franchisees"
There are currently 31 franchisee locations operating in the UK and a third of these are run by multi-centre owners who are keen to further expand and increase Mathnasium impact on children's lives.
NB: What is key to the universal success of this franchise?
Mathnasium is business in a box, with extensive training, support and tools to help franchisees build thriving businesses. This allows franchisees to focus on relationships with customers and teams to create a great environment and a high-quality service proposition. Being a people business, each learning centre operates as a hub of its community, working with schools, other businesses and participating in events to add value.
The business is built and driven by a bespoke IT system which makes running centre operations and supporting students simple. Every student learning plan is unique, every student is rewarded for their progress and ultimately families can be rest assured that their children are safe, happy and headed towards their goals. Every child starts with an assessment to identify, strengths, weaknesses and importantly, gaps in learning. Their bespoke learning plan is created and the journey to build strong foundations for success begins. Parents receive regular progress reports and the centre team are always on hand to answer questions and support.
NB: What do you look for in potential franchisees?
Mathnasium - You do not need to be a teacher or expert in maths to become a Mathnasium franchisee. The brand is looking for people passionate about making a positive impact on children's lives, looking for a purpose driven business that can make a difference in their local communities. All franchisees undergo a process before being offered an opportunity to join the brand, this is important for sustaining brand quality, consistency and continued positive growth. Existing franchisees come from diverse careers from media and broadcast, to accountancy, investment banking to property developers and existing multi-unit franchisees from other brands.
NB: How does Mathnasium view the education landscape in the UK?
Mathnasium - The skills required in our future leaders are changing and many progressive industries such as tech and AI are founded in maths. This means maths as a subject area is becoming more important. In tandem, the squeeze on the education system also means more opportunities for franchisees.
VAT on private schooling has seen many parents put their children into state education and focus on extracurricular support to enhance their child's education. In turn this has increased demand on people keen to help their children into competitive schools. Larger school classes also mean that teachers are not always able to provide the one-to-one support that many children need, to gain a solid understanding. All of these pressures make Mathnasium programmes an invaluable support mechanism and have seen demand increase.
NB: What does the future hold for Mathnasium in the UK?
Mathnasium - Have a goal to open 100 centres by the end of 2026 and Q1 of 2025 has started strong with 10 set to open their doors. For investors, the proof is in the numbers with the model evidencing great returns. Single unit and development opportunities are available to investors so the brand isn't limiting growth potential either. They are on a mission to build a strong network of passionate business owners keen to change the trajectory of the lives of future leaders.
Discovery sessions run monthly in one of their London based flagship centres and more information can be requested via Mathnasiumfranchise.com [1]