Frequently Asked Questions
The core purpose of Maths Hubs is to help schools and colleges lead improvement in mathematics education in England. They seek to harness all the maths leadership and expertise within an area, to develop and spread excellent practice, for the benefit of all pupils and students. They are part of the wider development of school-led system leadership in England.
What is a Maths Hub?
Each Maths Hub is a partnership, led locally by an outstanding school or college. The lead school identifies strategic partners, who help plan and evaluate the hub’s work, and operational partners, who help carry out the hub’s work. So, the hub is not just the lead school or college – instead it is more like a maths leadership network involving schools, colleges and other organisations with maths education expertise from across the hub’s area.
Where are the Maths Hubs and who do they serve?
There are 40 Maths Hubs that together serve all the regions of England. Each Maths Hub is open to working with any schools and colleges, from early years providers to post-16 institutions, in the broad geographical area that it covers. The benefits for schools and colleges engaging with their local Maths Hubs include:
- Access to free or subsidised professional development programmes
- Up-to-date information about all local maths education activities
- Participation in a network of local leaders of maths educations (LLMEs).
How and when were Maths Hubs established?
The lead school or college for each Maths Hub is selected through a rigorous process run by the Department for Education (DfE), the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), and the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). The selection process identifies schools that demonstrate the credibility, capacity and commitment to lead a Maths Hub. The first 32 Maths Hubs were announced in July 2014, were increased to 35 in November 2015 and then again to 37 in Autumn 2019 and will expand to 40 in Autumn 2020.
How are Maths Hubs funded to do their work?
The DfE is the principal sponsor of the Maths Hubs Programme. Each Maths Hub receives funds to cover both structural costs and project costs. Other organisations also sometimes sponsor particular Maths Hub projects. For example, the Education Endowment Foundation has supported two trials in the field of mathematical reasoning.
How do the Maths Hubs work together?
The 40 Maths Hubs work together as part of a collaborative national network that is co-ordinated by the NCETM. This allows them to share experience and expertise and to collaborate as they work towards common goals. Together, the Maths Hubs network seeks to provide a collective national leadership and voice for maths education. To facilitate this, there is a termly meeting of a Maths Hubs Council, and all those involved in Maths Hub leadership come together each term at the National Maths Hubs Forum. Communication at other times is supported by online tools and communities.
Who else do Maths Hubs work with?
The Maths Hubs network benefits from the support of a number of Strategic Advisers. These include Ofsted, the Teaching School Council, the Joint Mathematical Council (JMC), and the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME).
All Maths Hubs seek to build capacity locally by working with a range of partners including Teaching Schools; mathematics Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs); NCETM CPD Standard holders; NCETM accredited Professional Development Leads; universities; subject associations; and employers.
