Secondary

Want to become a specialist in teaching for mastery and support your own and other schools to develop teaching for mastery approaches? Join the Secondary Mastery Specialist Programme. During the programme you will receive fully funded professional development from experts, have time to develop your own expertise, and then to support others.

Any teacher (excluding ECTs) who is teaching maths in a state-funded secondary school in England and who wishes to develop both their own classroom practice and their skills in leading professional development with others can apply to become a Secondary Mastery Specialist.

What is involved?

The Secondary Mastery Specialist Programme enables secondary maths teachers to become experts in teaching for mastery, so they in turn can develop maths departments that are well-led, high-performing, and provide high-quality professional development through collaborative working.

Participating schools will nominate a lead teacher to develop as a Mastery Specialist and follow a minimum of a three-year programme beginning in the autumn term of 2025. During the first year, the emphasis will be on the lead teacher developing their knowledge, understanding and skills of teaching for mastery. In the second year, participants will continue to develop their own classroom practices, but with a significant emphasis on developing the knowledge, skills and understanding of all members of their department. Alongside this they will explore, develop and implement department-wide approaches, structures and systems which support teaching for mastery. In the third year, the Mastery Specialist will be funded to lead a Work Group consisting of colleagues from two other schools, as well as continuing to work with their own department. The Work Group involves supporting participating departments in developing teaching for mastery approaches.

All the time, you keep in touch with other specialists across the country in online groups. You can share experiences and continue developmental conversations.

To support you in developing your role as a leader of professional development you will be enrolled in the NCETM’s PD Lead Programme during the second year of the Secondary Mastery Specialist Programme.

What is the cost?

The Secondary Mastery Specialist Programme is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools. In year 1 the work will amount to 15 days’ worth of time; release time for these days will be funded at £200 per day.

How can you find out more?

An information document for the programme can be found on the NCETM website: Secondary Mastery Specialist Programme. 

In the NCETM’s Mastery Magnified pages you will find case studies, interviews and podcasts with some of the secondary teachers we have been working with. 

How to Apply 

You can apply here – Secondary Mastery Specialist Programme | NCETM

Schools applying then undergo a selection procedure undertaken by their local Maths Hub. Hubs will notify successful applicants/schools following the selection process (by end of June).

NCETM Professional Development Lead accreditation is designed for those who lead professional development for teachers of maths.

Who can take part?

These programmes are for expert teachers of maths (all phases from Early Years to post-16) who have existing commitments and responsibility for designing, leading and evaluating maths teacher professional development, and who will lead maths professional development beyond their own institution. Participants must be based at a school/institution in England.

An information document can be found on the NCETM website: Professional Development Lead Programme

What is involved?

The PD Lead Programme is designed for participants who are working with other teachers to enhance teaching and learning of maths. 

The programme consists of a blend of online and face-to-face activity equating to three days, and a
series of independent planning and study tasks to be completed in your setting, spread over the
academic year. You will be in a position where you have ownership of planning, leading and
evaluating a professional development programme for a group of teachers/practitioners. Your work on
the programme will be recorded and shared for accreditation purposes in a standardised document.

In partnership with the University of Chester, we are delighted to offer you the opportunity to further
develop your work from the PD Lead Programme to gain 60 Masters credits and a PG Certificate in
Educational Studies in Mathematics.
Further information about the time commitment, assignments and costs will be available later in the
year. Please indicate on the application form whether you are interested to know more about this
opportunity.

What will you learn?

Throughout the year you will:

• consider what constitutes effective PD and the role of the PD Lead in terms of planning,
executing and evaluating PD programmes
• consider some fundamental themes and issues in maths and the teaching of maths, and the
implications of these in the context of supporting other practitioners
• develop an understanding of the full range of potential outcomes of maths professional
development, including: knowledge, attitudes and dispositions; practice development; school
approaches/policies; pupil outcomes
• develop an understanding of effective models of maths professional development, the
rationale for using them, and the research evidence that supports them.

What is the cost?

The Professional Development Lead Programmes are fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so are free to participants and their schools.

How to Apply 

You will need the full support of your headteacher to prioritise and fully attend
all sessions, and to give you appropriate opportunity to design, lead and evaluate your PD
programme. If you are a primary applicant, please consult with your Maths Hub prior to applying.

Please go to the following link to apply – Professional Development Lead Programmes | NCETM  Please complete all sections of the application form and submit by 5pm on 14th March 2025. Applications received after this time will not be accepted. Maths Hubs will complete the selection process, and you will be informed of the result before the summer break.

Who can take part?

The programme is for colleagues working with school and subject leaders to improve maths teaching and learning in a school or group of schools other than their own. Normally, participants will have previously completed the NCETM PD Lead Programme. Participants will be expected to commit to the full programme of activities and will need the support of the headteacher of their own school and/or their MAT. The programme is for teachers working in England only.

An information document can be found on the NCETM website: School Development Lead Programme

What is involved?

This programme is specifically designed to enable the leaders of maths school development to enhance leadership capacity and capability in the schools they support. It will provide regional support through workshops (face-to-face run regionally across England, and online), practice development activities, and an online community.

Participants design and lead a maths school development initiative, working with school and subject leadership. They must maintain a reflection and learning log, and a record of their initiative.

What will you learn?

During the programme you will:

• increase your awareness of the skills needed by a mathematics school development lead and
have a deeper self-awareness in relation to the role
• develop your knowledge of a range of mathematics school development domains and know
why, when and how to work within these effectively
• develop your knowledge and understanding of how to lead the implementation of a maths
school development process, with appropriate emphasis on working closely with senior and
subject leaders to:

– explore their setting’s needs
– prepare for and begin (at least) to deliver an evidence-informed approach, designed
to address a specified priority and to be sustainable beyond your involvement with the
school
– strengthen your knowledge of the evidence base that underpins school development
and change management.

What is the cost?

The School Development Lead Programme is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participants and their schools. You must discuss your intended application with your Maths Hub before
applying, as you will need their support to sponsor your place on the programme.

How to Apply 

You will need the full support of your headteacher to attend face-to-face/online
sessions, and to give you appropriate opportunity to design, lead and evaluate your school
development initiative.

You, with the support of your headteacher, should complete the online application form here – School Development Lead Programme | NCETM and submit it to the NCETM by 5pm on 14 March 2025. 

Being part of the Secondary Teaching for Mastery Development Programme will give you and your school chance to develop your whole maths department, and have an impact on the students you teach.

Who can take part?

Whether you want to take a teaching for mastery approach in your own classroom and department, or introduce mastery in both your own school and beyond, we have a CPD opportunity for you. The NCETM and Maths Hubs are offering funded professional development activities, available in 2024/25. 

In 2024/25, there is also the opportunity for teachers who work in special schools to come together to join a regional cross-phase Development Work Group. Primary and secondary special school teachers will work together to develop teaching for mastery in their own contexts.

Please contact our Secondary Leads Jayne and Lorna for more details – lgoulding@ourladyofpity.co.uk and j.watts@alsagerschool.org 

Please note: this project is for state-funded secondary schools in England.

What is involved?

Secondary maths teachers whose schools want to introduce teaching for mastery can nominate two teachers (‘Mastery Advocates’) to join a Work Group. Mastery Advocates then form part of a locally-based group of teachers who meet regularly to develop professional knowledge and expertise, and receive bespoke support.

Teachers will collaborate with colleagues from local schools, and get support and guidance from a Secondary Mastery Specialist, to introduce and embed teaching for mastery in their department.

Mastery Advocates

The fully funded programme enables you and another teacher from your school to become ‘Mastery Advocates’. Initially you will be part of a Work Group for a year. You will also get in-school support from a Mastery Specialist. Beyond the first year, you will continue to work with your local Maths Hub and take part in a Work Group as you embed mastery across your department.

This programme is for state-funded secondary schools in England. Mastery Advocates should be teachers with the commitment, experience and authority to lead developmental work across a maths department. The support of the head of maths, and the headteacher or a member of SLT, is also essential.

What is the cost?

The Secondary Teaching for Mastery – Development project is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.

How to Apply

Please fill in the Google application form – Secondary Mastery Development 

Who can take part?

Participation is for maths departments in schools that took part in a Secondary Teaching for Mastery Development Work Group in 2023/24. Lead participants will ideally be the Mastery Advocates who participated in 2023/24 Work Groups.

What is involved?

Secondary Teaching for Mastery Embedding Year Support is available for those departments who participated in the previous year’s Secondary Teaching for Mastery Development Work Group, and who are beginning to embed their work on teaching for mastery. Mastery Advocates (designated previously in the Development Work Group) will work closely with an assigned Mastery Specialist to help them embed teaching for mastery approaches across the whole department. Specialists will provide three days of bespoke support tailored to each school.

The focus will be on constructing or refining a coherent development plan and supporting and leading the whole department in realising the aims of that development plan. The school will also be part of a Secondary Teaching for Mastery Embedding and Sustaining Work Group with other schools.

What will you learn?

• Your students will develop a deep, secure and connected understanding of the maths they are learning
• You will begin to develop teaching for mastery approaches across your department
• You and your department will collaborate to create coherent curriculums in a culture of professional learning
• You will produce a development plan and professional development programme for the department

What is the cost?

The Secondary Teaching for Mastery – Embedding Year Support project is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.

How to Apply

Please fill in the Google application form – Secondary Mastery Embedding

Who can take part?

The project is for secondary heads of department/subject leaders, and is open to heads of department in schools already involved with Maths Hubs and to those who are not yet involved. In their first year of engagement with this project, participants will be part of a Work Group. In subsequent years they will be part of a Maths Hub-led subject leadership community.

What is involved?

This project provides an opportunity for participants to deepen their understanding of teaching approaches, of their wider roles, and of their capacity with their colleagues to transform secondary maths learning. 

They will work collaboratively with other subject leaders, discuss developments and engage with research, and use this experience to inform their work in leading and developing maths education in school.

What will you learn?

• You will promote and develop a shared vision, culture and set of principles for teaching and learning in maths
• You will ensure coherence in the curriculum and provide support for teaching for mastery across the department
• You and your department will establish collaborative ways of working to support ongoing developments
• You will develop in your ability to lead change

What is the cost?

The Secondary Maths Subject Leaders Community project is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.

How to Apply

Please fill in the Google application form – Secondary Maths Subject Leaders Community

Who can take part?

The project is for those who lead maths across multiple schools within a MAT, including at least one secondary school. This includes MAT maths leads who are continuing from previous years, and new participants. To better engage in the programme, participants are encouraged to have at least one school in a Secondary Teaching for Mastery Work Group in 2024/25, but this is not essential.

What is involved?

Now in its fourth year, this project supports those who lead maths across multiple schools within a MAT. Participants will also develop their role as a leader of system change, curriculum change, and teacher professional development.

New participants will complete a bespoke programme, and those continuing the project will develop their work together as a community. There will be opportunities for new and continuing participants to work together, so all can benefit from central provision and the opportunity for practice exchange with peers.

What will you learn?

• You will promote and develop a shared vision for effective teaching and learning in maths
• You will work with subject leaders across your MAT to lead and manage maths teaching effectively and to develop teaching for mastery approaches within your own department
• You will understand the benefits of collaborative professional development for sustained development of professional knowledge and practice
• You will understand effective models of maths teacher professional development, the rationale for using them, and the evidence that supports them

What is the cost?

The Secondary MAT Maths Leaders project is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.

How to Apply 

Applications are now closed for 2024/25. You can register your interest for 2025/26 here –

Expression of Interest 2025/26

We are pleased to be able to offer you places on a brand new Maths Hub programme designed to support secondary schools with teaching pupils who come in with very low prior attainment to year 7. 

The programme is called ‘Securing Foundations at Year 7’ and is perfect for secondary teachers who want to access specially designed resources to support these pupils. 

Who is it for?

The intended participants for this project are teachers working with those Year 7 students who have not met age related expectations in maths, particularly students whose attainment is in the bottom 20-30% of the national cohort at the end of KS2. The project is suitable for experienced or novice teachers who are interested in developing their teaching practice to support students in securing the foundations of mathematical understanding.

What is the time commitment?

Participants should engage with the supporting video material, attend six central online events, and attend regional (face-to-face or online) cohort events, equivalent to three days. They will also engage with the online community.

Further information…

The centrally produced resources are designed to support teachers and focus on the foundations of mathematical understanding. Each set of resources has a different focus, adapting the most relevant parts of the support available for KS2 teachers so that they build on students’ prior knowledge and prepare them for their study in KS3. The resources will comprise both classroom-facing slides and teacher guidance. Participants who actively engage with the teacher guidance and supporting materials will benefit most.

What is the cost?

Securing Foundations at Year 7 Work Group is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools/colleges.

Applications are now closed for 2024/25. You can register your interest for 2025/26 here –

Expression of Interest 2025/26

This project is designed to support non-specialist teachers teaching maths in a secondary school in developing specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics, thus enabling them to understand, teach and support students in maths in the classroom. 

Who can take part?

This programme is for non-specialist teachers of maths in state-funded schools in England who fit the following definition:

“A non-specialist teacher of mathematics is a teacher in a state-funded school or college that is currently teaching some mathematics or has commitment from a headteacher/executive head to teach some mathematics within the next year, who has not undertaken Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in mathematics.”

What is involved?

There are significant numbers of people teaching maths in secondary schools without specialist initial teacher training. This programme supports non-specialist teachers in developing the specialist knowledge (the blend of subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledge) for teaching maths.

It is designed to take place over the equivalent of six days.

What will you learn?

• Your students will develop a deep, secure and connected understanding of the maths they are learning
• You will increase your confidence in planning for progression in maths
• You will improve your subject and curriculum knowledge of secondary maths 

What is the cost?

The SKTM Secondary Non-specialist Teachers Programme is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.

How to Apply

Applications are now closed for 2024/25. You can register your interest for 2025/26 here –

Expression of Interest 2025/26

Who can take part?

Phase 1 in this project is for those identified as Early Career Teachers – teachers in their first or second year of teaching. Phase 2 is for those in the early part of their careers. They will have engaged with Phase 1 before engaging with this phase.

What is involved?

Two maths-specific subject knowledge projects are available to support secondary Early Career Teachers (ECTs) – one is for ECTs who have not yet participated in this project and one is for those who participated in 2024/25. Both projects offer high-quality subject knowledge and pedagogy maths support for ECTs, recognising the requirements of the ECF.

The programme will build on the knowledge gained during initial teacher training. This will be achieved by focusing on one area of maths in detail: multiplicative reasoning for participants in Phase 1, and sequences and graphical representations for participants in Phase 2.

What will you learn?

• Your students will reason with increasing confidence in response to effective questioning within the classroom
• You will consider task and lesson design, with your students’ needs in mind
• You will notice aspects of teaching for mastery within a given task or lesson, and be able to articulate their purpose

What is the cost?

The SKTM Secondary Early Career Teachers Programme is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.

How to Apply

Applications are now closed for 2024/25. You can register your interest for 2025/26 here –

Expression of Interest 2025/26

Who can take part?

This is for teaching assistants who work predominantly with students in the KS3 maths classroom or who lead intervention sessions with groups of students. Participants’ schools should already be engaged with a Teaching for Mastery Work Group, and this programme will complement this provision.

What is involved?

This programme is designed to improve the subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledge for all TAs supporting the learning of secondary maths.

Participants will focus on using precise mathematical language, representations, and reasoning within the topics: addition and subtraction; multiplication and division; ratio; and fractions. They will also carry out follow-up tasks in school to enable practice transfer to the classroom. The programme will take place over the equivalent of four days; participants must attend all sessions.

What will you learn?

• Your students will demonstrate a positive attitude towards the learning of maths
• You will use appropriate mathematical language and representations with confidence
• You will develop your understanding of how to adapt resources to meet students’ needs
• You will develop an understanding of how algebra relates to the generalisation of number

What is the cost?

The SKTM Secondary Teaching Assistants Programme is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.

How to Apply

Applications are now closed for 2024/25. You can register your interest for 2025/26 here –

Expression of Interest 2025/26