In the last academic year, as part of our DfE funded CPD programme, MEI worked with practitioners from over 60 colleges across England. 10 colleges were part of our College Maths Partner Programme.
Christopher Gould, Maths and English Operational Lead at Chesterfield College, reflects on the programme and its impact.
MEI and Chesterfield College
When we learned about the College Maths Partnership (CMP), we welcomed the opportunity to work with MEI. Having already partnered with them for a year through their FE CPD programme, we had seen first-hand the positive impact their support had on our maths team.
Through the CMP, we were assigned a dedicated MEI FE Maths Specialist who worked closely with us to support our improvement goals. Together with colleagues from our Quality and Improvement team, we established clear objectives; focused on improving student progression and improving the student experience in maths lessons.
MEI took the time to understand our vision and designed a bespoke programme of professional development tailored to the needs of our staff and students. The programme was enhanced through learning walks, staff feedback forums, and regular face-to-face support. Access to resources was streamlined through a shared Padlet, which was actively used by all staff and provided a valuable central hub for collaboration and learning.
Throughout the partnership, every aspect of the programme was carefully aligned with our priorities. The process was highly collaborative, enabling the maths team to contribute to a shared vision for curriculum sequencing and lesson planning, while also creating valuable opportunities to network with colleagues across the college.
Beyond the college, the partnership introduced us to a range of wider professional opportunities, including Teach Meets, the MEI Conference, Adult Networking events and MEI Extended Courses. These experiences further enriched our staff development and strengthened our connection to the wider maths education community.
