We would welcome an opportunity to help you and your department to fulfil your college’s commitment to improving the teaching and learning of maths.

Making the best start

Our New and Aspiring Heads of Maths course is offered through the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme and is available to those teaching in a state-funded school or college in England. This is an open course, and so provides some great opportunities to meet and discuss your experiences with course participants from other schools and colleges.

If you’re not eligible for this AMSP course, you may wish to consider our Heads of Mathematics course. This course is available on request and can be tailored to the needs of a cluster of schools or a Multi-Academy Trust. The course is delivered as three study days spread over a number of months. On these days, participants work together to learn about department leadership, effective approaches to management, and the means to influence and bring about improvement in the teaching and learning of maths. It’s ideal for those in the first few years of the role and also for experienced leaders wishing to evaluate and reflect on their practice. Aspiring Heads of Mathematics will also find it useful preparation for undertaking the role in future; reflecting upon the challenges involved will help them to become better candidates for a future post as well as preparing them to lead and manage a department effectively.

Our Leaders of Maths in Further Education course is ideal If you’re in your first few years of leading a maths team in an FE setting. If you’re an experienced Maths Lead, it will offer you the opportunity to evaluate and reflect upon your practice, and if you’re aspiring to take on the role, you’ll find it useful preparation.

Please get in touch if you’d like to find out more about these courses.

Do you offer your students the full range of advanced maths options?

Enabling your students to access the full range of advanced maths options – that is, Core Maths, AS/A level Mathematics and AS/A level Further Mathematics  – can provide benefits that extend far beyond the advantages for the students who study for these qualifications.

The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) can help you expand this offer for your students; find out more about the benefits, funding and support available. 

Bespoke training days for your department

Our high-quality bespoke training days can be hosted at your college on a date that suits you. Personalised from start to finish to best suit your department’s specific requirements, these training days are a great way for your whole department to work together. They can also be delivered in collaboration with other local schools and colleges. This can be an economical and effective way of providing professional development for your whole department.

Topics covered may include:

“Thank you again for yesterday, I have never seen ALL the team so enthusiastic and focused on improving what goes on in the classroom.”

Head of Department

Objective departmental reviews

One offer that has proven to be particularly effective for many successful maths departments, is taking up an objective departmental review by a specialist from our teacher support team.

How it works

Our support team member usually spends two days with you and your team, observing all of your maths teachers and providing each of them with detailed feedback. They then work closely with you to set priorities relating to your department’s current position and the challenges it faces.

Key features of a departmental review

• You’ll get detailed feedback on lesson observations: identifying the main issues arising and suggestions for how deeper mathematical thinking can be encouraged.
• Discussions to help set short- and medium-term targets.
• We’ll suggest areas for development for the department.
• The review will initiate the production of working documents such as a scheme of work with a focus on rich mathematical thinking or the opportunities for effective use of technology.
• You’ll also receive a detailed written report covering all aspects of the review for your head of department and senior leaders to digest and use to inform future decision-making.

Excellent feedback

Our reviews are constructive, rather than judgmental, and have been extremely well-received.

“Many thanks for the very full and perceptive report. While the phrase “next phase of the department’s development” has been circulating for a while among us, it has not found a very precise definition or philosophy yet. I think your detailed reports on individual lessons direct our attention where it is needed, which is to the way we help students build understanding and to the individual student’s experience in the classroom.”

Head of Department

“[The head of department] and I have found your evaluation of the department and the strategies employed extremely useful. It has certainly helped us and our future thinking. We are keen for you to return in a year’s time in order re-assess the department’s progress against current benchmarks you have observed during your recent visit.”

Deputy Head

“Very thorough lesson feedback with suggestions for improvements. The inspection was conducted in a very professional and thorough manner… The recommendations now give a focus for the year ahead….We would very much like to use [MEI] in the future to provide CPD.”

Head of Department