Calculus and curry: GCSE maths lessons at Tower Tandoori

Every Tuesday and Wednesday 20 pupils from the academy in Lynton Road have been receiving Maths tuition from City University students in the Tower Tandoori in Tower Bridge Road.

After their two hours of intensive calculation, the restaurant provides the tutors and students with a curry and the opportunity to socialise.

These unusual training sessions have been arranged by Ben Davies, head of mathematics at the City of London Academy, and Numan Azmi, director of Food4Thought.

The purpose of these "trig and tikka" sessions is to improve the Maths GCSE results of underachieving students by changing the place, the time, and the way learning is done.

The academy says that the experience of working with university students has also raised the ambitions of its pupils who are now looking with much greater clarity at their future after school.

Launched in 2004 in Manchester, the Food4Thought project offers a refreshing and innovative ways to motivate and encourage students in their learning.

It provides customised tuition and a mentoring programme in a non traditional environment, focusing mainly on GSCE English and Mathematics.