The courses are for teachers of students aged 11 to 19 in schools and colleges, who do not have a mathematics specialism. Research shows that up to 24 per cent of teachers deployed to teach mathematics may fall into this category.
Attending the courses will help develop participants’ knowledge of mathematics and subject-specific pedagogical skills. This will enable them to enhance their confidence and effectiveness in teaching mathematics.
Each participant on the courses will follow development paths which build on their prior knowledge of teaching mathematics. These are tailored to their individual needs.
The pilot courses will be accredited and provide up to 40 days of support.
To be eligible for the courses, applicants must:
- have qualified teacher status
- already be teaching mathematics for a significant portion of their timetable, and
- have been teaching mathematics for at least three academic terms by the course start date.
The courses are free for participants, and there is a £5,000 award available for participants meeting eligibility criteria at the end of the course. Supply cover is also available for participants' schools.
The universities of Brighton, Liverpool Hope and Wolverhampton are piloting these continuing professional development (CPD) courses aimed at teachers who do not have a mathematics specialism. The second year of the pilot started in summer 2008, and teaching is now underway.
Notice for current participants on the pilot programme
Participants who have successfully completed the course and met all the eligibility criteria for the £5000 award should request an information pack (PDF 247 KB) and application form from their course provider. Should you wish to contact pilot providers, their details are below. You can also use the external links on this page for more information
University of Brighton
Bruce Samuel
Tel: 01273 643598
E-mail: b.a.samuel@brighton.ac.uk
Liverpool Hope University
Pauline Bray
Tel: 0151 291 3278
E-mail: brayp@hope.ac.uk
University of Wolverhampton
Fay Gledenning
Tel: 01902 322821
E-mail fay.gledenning@wlv.ac.uk
Notice for local authorities
Local authorities who have made incentive payments to participants’ schools can claim reimbursement by downloading the claim form (Excel 22 KB), completing and returning it as indicated. They should also include a copy of the main application form to send back to the TDA. This claim form is updated from time to time, so local authorities should check this page regularly to make sure they are using the current version.
Downloads

- NFER research brief - mathematics and science in secondary schools (542 KB)
- Making mathematics count - Professor Adrian Smith’s report (671 KB)
- Additional Specialism Incentive Scheme - administrators pack (247 KB)
- Local authority additional specialism incentive claim form - maths (13 KB)
