Dotmaths Ltd (From York Press)

Dotmaths Ltd

1:18pm Thursday 22nd July 2010 in

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MATHS tutor Matthew Handy quickly recognised Dotmaths Ltd, his York-based maths tutoring business dealt largely with pupils whose parents could afford it.

That is why he launched an initiative which aims to show state school pupils that Oxbridge is not too posh to be possible.

Matthew, a Cambridge graduate, launched not-for-profit venture Don’t Skateboard, under which he has taken 11 year 12 and 13 students to Cambridge for a week-long residential stay to prove the university is “not just for the elite or privately- educated”.

A third of them have now completed their A-Levels and have been offered places at Cambridge.

Meanwhile Dotmaths Ltd, which has experienced its most successful year ever, in spite of the economic downturn, is seeking both the Best Employer and Education Link and best Higher Education Link titles in The Press Business Awards 2010.

Dotmaths Ltd has helped 67 students to improve their grades and their chances of being accepted by the best universities.

Revenue has grown by 50 per cent this academic year and Mr Handy has plans to introduce online and video tuition and to develop teaching materials for use on mobile phones.

A relaunched website, dotmaths.com has seen a record number of visitors, particularly as it can be used to download revision papers and to get recommendations for wider reading So where does the name Don’t Skateboard derive from?

It comes from an American school in the 1950s, which rather than publish dozens of edicts for its new school rules, decided on only one: don’t skateboard in the hallways.

Mr Handy said: “If you understood the reasons for that, then you understood the need to be thoughtful in every sense.”