NFER has been awarded a grant to assess delivery of four programmes recently supported by the Maths Excellence Fund. The aim of the evaluation is to develop a better understanding of the activities that can improve the attainment and progression in maths of high potential students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This stage of the evaluation covers the first two years of the delivery (September 2024 – July 2026) and will provide early indications of the outcomes for students. NFER will draw on delivery and participation data, conduct student and teacher surveys, and carry out interviews with school staff, tutors, students and programme leads.
NFER Trials Director, Pippa Lord said: “We are proud to be partnering with the Maths Excellence Fund. Our analysis of the effectiveness of the first two years of delivery will provide valuable insights into the benefits that disadvantaged students can gain by developing schools’ maths provision to support students to further excel in maths.
“Our evaluation and the impact of this fund will not only look at individual interventions for students but also the benefits it can deliver for teacher CPD, maths leadership, curriculum development and ultimately student destinations.”
The Maths Excellence Fund is supporting four programmes to be delivered in schools over the next three to five years. The four delivery partners are: Inspiration Trust working in East Anglia; the Co-operative Academies Trust working in the North of England; Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI) working in Birmingham; and United Learning (working with schools in their Trust across the country).
About the Maths Excellence Fund
The Maths Excellence Fund exists to help more students join and stay on the maths excellence pathway. The Fund has been established to improve student attainment and progression in maths, increasing the number of students who are on track to succeed in A-level maths and beyond. It has a particular focus on high potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds, for whom studying maths can unlock significant opportunities.
The Fund is supporting programmes that will be led by schools, universities and charities. Each programme will be independently evaluated to better understand which activities might improve student attainment and progress in maths, and to replicate best practice models.
More information about the Maths Excellence Fund can be found here.