The Teaching A level Mathematics (TAM) programme aims to support teachers of GCSE Mathematics who wish to teach A level Mathematics for the first time.

The Teaching A level Mathematics (TAM) programme is a long-established and well-regarded professional development programme designed for teachers who are new to teaching A level maths.

Teaching A level Mathematics for the first time presents a challenge for any teacher. For teachers at the beginning of their career grappling with developing into the teacher they want to be, the TAM course offers a mechanism for focussing on areas of classroom practice in the context of A level maths. For more experienced teachers who have typically taught up to GCSE level for a number of years, the course offers a way to re-engage with often rusty subject knowledge and enable them to apply their classroom expertise to this new content.

group of educators talking at an event

“The course has been invaluable in building my knowledge, but more so confidence with the A level content. It had been 20 years since I’d visited some of these topics, and I felt a huge amount of intimidation starting to teach it.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“It [the TAM course] has really boosted my confidence for teaching year 12 this year as I was quite anxious back in September when I started…it’s made me think for myself on topics that I haven’t seen since I was at school… especially differentiation and integration.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

History and development

 

The Teaching A level Mathematics (TAM) course was initially a pilot programme funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation from 2003 to 2008. Following the initial planning year, the first 20 teachers enrolled at the University of Warwick. The following year, due to increased demand, Gatsby funding was increased to allow Manchester Metropolitan University to join the programme. In 2006, the course started at London South Bank University with funding from The London Challenge.

Since 2011, the Department for Education (DfE) has funded the programme. This enabled universities such as Cambridge, Durham, IOE, KCL, Leeds, LSBU, MMU, Plymouth and Warwick to offer the ‘TAM with Masters’ version of the course until 2017-18.

Since 2018-19 TAM has been funded by the DfE through the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) with 200 places in both 2018-19 and 2019-20 being offered at ten venues across England. The Coronavirus pandemic resulted in the course not taking place during the 2020-21 academic year before returning in 2021-22 until the present time.

Well over 2000 teachers have taken part in the programme since 2003.

Course Structure/Design

The course consists of several face-to-face Study Days spread across the academic year. Participants benefit from a school visit where they are observed teaching their A level students, and they also have access to an extensive set of teaching resources hosted on MEI’s Learning Platform Integral.

Professional Development

“I found TAM incredibly helpful… having the time to explore interesting resources and working out where these could fit into next year’s curriculum – from interesting quick thinking problems, to resources that introduce a topic in an exciting / different way.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“…having access to the Integral resources is amazing!!! Being able to go on to the website to find a new resource to try and use has been really useful in helping support my planning, as well as introducing more problem solving into my classroom.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“I probably wouldn’t have done this [tried group work with my class] without the resources that were provided from Integral… [which] has been extremely useful as I have been struggling to find appropriate resources beforehand, but now I know where to go for good quality resources, and how to use them.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

The Study Days

The course offers teachers the opportunity to develop their pedagogy and A level subject knowledge simultaneously. The Study Days focus on mathematical themes which are central to A level. Sessions explore these mathematical themes and model teaching approaches which can be used in participants’ own classrooms. Participants also engage with academic or journal articles, which prompt reflection upon their pedagogy, and have the opportunity to discuss their practice with other teachers.

Associates at MEI

“The course days have been well thought out and I’ve taken a lot of teaching strategies from every session. I’ve also loved reading the articles … as they have challenged my thinking of how I teach across all key stages.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“The study days have been overflowing with very interesting mathematical ideas and given me a space to discuss maths with other like-minded people.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

The School Visit

Each participant receives a school visit, typically between October and April, from a course tutor who is an expert in A level Mathematics teaching. The observed lesson is of their A level class and is followed by a feedback conversation and written report, where the focus is on supporting the development of the teacher. Working directly with a teacher in their own context allows more individualised feedback and hence helps the teacher decide on which elements of their practice they are going to focus.

GCSE maths

“I found that the school visit was an important part of the course as it gave an opportunity to have an in-depth discussion with the tutor about my own pedagogy in the very particular context of each individual school. It offered me a really good chance to reflect. I received very thorough feedback that helped me to develop my own pedagogy.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“…knowing the feedback was developmental and not judgemental allowed for an environment where you could safely take a risk.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“The school visit gave me confidence in my teaching and reassured that I was doing the right thing and that there is hope for me to keep teaching A level maths.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

Impact

The impact of TAM is wide-ranging. A particular theme which emerges from feedback is that of the growth in confidence regarding teaching A level maths. This confidence is often combined with recognition that their students are going to be better supported and the transformation ripples out beyond the teacher’s A level classes to other year groups. The impact also transcends to their departmental colleagues.

Above all, the course provides a place where teachers can face the challenges of teaching A level Mathematics for the first time alongside others in a similar position and with expert tutors who are able to support them on the next part of their teaching journey.

Further Education and Adult maths

“I’m genuinely incredibly grateful for [the two course tutor’s] time and expertise as well as that of my peers, who were able to offer unbridled support throughout the year with reassurance that the struggles I faced were not just mine but that we were all in the same boat. TAM has made the impossible act of teaching A level maths seem less like juggling flaming chainsaws but more like exploring and enjoying a Sunday walk in the countryside. Thank you.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“I have definitely been taken out of my comfort zone, but as the year has progressed and I complete my first year of teaching A level I feel far more confident in my ability as a teacher.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“TAM has been a brilliant way of developing my subject knowledge. It has given me a much better understanding of key concepts in A level maths. This has resulted in me being a much more confident teacher. I feel that I am in a better position to support my students. It has allowed me to reflect on my pedagogy and how I can get more comfortable with the students being uncomfortable. It has been a really valuable experience.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“I have found the resources and example lessons incredibly useful and the course has made me think about how I teach A level but also how I teach KS3 and KS4 better, specifically when it comes to problem solving.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“I have revised the way I teach entirely and I hope to use techniques from the course in to my teaching as a whole.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the TAM course has completely changed how I approach teaching A level. When I started the course, I came from a school where teachers only really taught from a textbook. I knew there must be better ways of doing it but didn’t know what they were. TAM has shown me so many different approaches and given me a lot of ideas, and I know that my year 12 class will look very different in September. I’ve been able to take the ideas back to my department and share them, and everyone has benefitted from it.”

Participant TEACHING A LEVEL MATHEMATICS (TAM)

Find out more

 

MEI offers a range of support for A level Mathematics teachers through the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP).

Explore our Teaching A level Mathematics course that runs from September each academic year.

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