DSFC’s Sam Waterfield Named Inaugural Fellow of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, 29 Jan 2026

We are immensely proud to announce that Sam Waterfield has been appointed as an inaugural Fellow of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences (AcadMathSci). This historic appointment places Sam among a select group of 100 experts, including Nobel-equivalent Fields Medal winners and leaders from GCHQ and Google DeepMind, tasked with putting mathematics at the heart of national life.

A Leader in Mathematics Education Sam is a highly experienced post-16 educator within our award-winning maths department at Durham Sixth Form Centre. In addition to teaching A Level Maths and Further Maths, Sam serves as the Maths Outreach Lead for the Providence Learning Partnership. In this role, he designs masterclasses and enrichment programmes that bring high-level mathematics to students across the North East.

His influence extends regionally through his work as the Post-16 Lead for both the Archimedes NE and Great North Maths Hubs, where he spearheads professional development for teachers. With an academic background including a BSc from the University of Glasgow, a PGCE from Newcastle University, and a Master’s in Education from Leeds University, Sam is both an NCETM Accredited PD Lead and a Chartered Maths Teacher.

National Impact As a Fellow, Sam will bring his expertise in pedagogy, the psychology of learning, and regional outreach to help the Academy achieve its vision. He will collaborate on national priorities, such as:

• Designing Future Curricula: Ensuring math education fits tomorrow’s economy.

• Nurturing Talent: Addressing the “leaky pipeline” to ensure math is a viable option for young people from all backgrounds.

• Evidence-Based Policy: Drawing on classroom research to inform government decisions on education.

“The inaugural Fellows represent the very best of this national capability,” noted Science Minister Lord Vallance. We look forward to seeing Sam champion the mathematical sciences on this national stage.