In this episode, the NCETM’s Dr Jen Shearman, Paul Rowlandson and Sue Evans discuss the upcoming EEF-funded trials of two important Maths Hubs programmes in 2025/26. The conversation explores the role of external evaluation, the challenges of conducting randomised controlled trials (RCTs), and what the findings could mean for maths education.

A transcript (PDF) of this episode is available to download.

• Jen Shearman, Director for Evaluation and Impact, NCETM
• Sue Evans, Assistant Director for Primary, NCETM
• Paul Rowlandson, Assistant Director for School and Professional Development, NCETM
• Julia Thomson, Senior Communications and Marketing Manager, NCETM.

• 00:00 Introduction and welcome
• 01:12 Meet the team and overview of the EEF trials
• 01:57 Understanding the EEF and its role
• 03:31 The NCETM's involvement with the EEF
• 06:11 Introduction to the SKTM Secondary Non-specialist Teachers Programme
• 09:28 Introduction to the Mastering Number at Reception and KS1 Programme
• 12:02 Challenges in conducting the trials
• 22:01 Hopes and expectations from the trials
• 31:04 Conclusion and how to get involved.

• Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics Secondary Non-specialist Teachers Programme
• Mastering Number at Reception and KS1
• Mastering Number at KS2
• Blog post on the EEF trials: Going for gold standard
• Evaluating our programmes in 2025/26
• EEF trial of the Secondary Non-specialist Teachers SKTM Programme
• EEF trial of the Mastering Number at Reception and KS1 Programme
• TIMMS 2023 Report
• Coordinating mathematical success: the mathematics subject report (2023)
• Explore previous episodes of the NCETM podcast in our archive.

In this episode, the NCETM’s Dr. Jen Shearman and Carol Knights discuss the EEF’s Secondary maths practice review. The review identifies some of the challenges facing leaders of maths in English schools, including the national shortage of maths teachers, the widening gap between disadvantaged students and their peers, the need for greater focus on students in KS3, and the ways maths departments are approaching these challenges. Jen and Carol also touch upon the implications for the NCETM and the Maths Hubs Programme, and the projects underway to address the issues highlighted in the review.

A transcript (PDF) of this episode is available to download.

• Carol Knights, Director for Secondary Maths, NCETM
• Dr. Jen Shearman, Director for Evaluation and Impact, NCETM
• Julia Thomson, Senior Communications and Marketing Manager, NCETM.

• 00:00 Introduction and welcome
• 01:19 Overview of the EEF Secondary maths practice review
• 03:02 Key findings: teacher skills and expertise
• 04:24 Addressing the shortage of maths teachers
• 05:11 Impact of COVID on disadvantaged students
• 07:35 The importance of mathematical talk
• 10:01 Integrating problem-solving in maths lessons
• 13:02 Use of representations and manipulatives in secondary maths
• 16:16 NCETM and Maths Hubs professional development
• 18:39 Future directions and recommendations
• 22:43 Conclusion and final thoughts.

• EEF Secondary maths practice review (2024)
• Maths Hubs Securing Foundations in Year 7 project
• Maths Hubs Secondary Non-specialist Teachers (SKTM) Programme
• Maths Hubs Years 5-8 Continuity project
• Oracy Education Commission We Need to Talk (2024)
• Ofsted Coordinating Mathematical Success: the mathematics subject report (2023).
• Explore previous episodes of the NCETM podcast in our archive.

In this episode, we talk to Liz Woodham, Primary Coordinator at NRICH, about the Problem-solving Schools initiative and its aims to support the development of reasoning and problem-solving skills for pupils and students from Reception to post-16. Liz shares insights into the initiative's process, including the use of webinars and rich tasks to support schools, and we also look at the relationship between problem-solving and reasoning and their importance in a well-rounded maths education.

A transcript (PDF) of this episode is available to download.

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• Liz Woodham, Primary Coordinator, NRICH, University of Cambridge
• Julia Thomson, Senior Communications and Marketing Manager, NCETM.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 04:00 Problem-solving Schools initiative
• 05:08 The Kilpatrick Rope Model
• 08:39 The Five Big Ideas in Teaching for Mastery
• 10:26 Framework and goals of the Problem-solving Schools initiative
• 17:22 ‘NRICH-style’ problems and SATs-style problems
• 20:05 Developing a ‘productive disposition’
• 22:16 Making time for problem-solving
• 26:12 What is reasoning and problem-solving?
• 29:52 Exploring and noticing
• 37:26 Conclusion and how to get involved.

• NRICH Problem-solving Schools initiative
• NRICH Kilpatrick Rope Model
• NRICH game mentioned in podcast: Make 37
• Previous NCETM Maths Podcast discussion with NRICH: Episode 77 - Maths Games
• Mentioned by Julia: Five Big Ideas in Teaching for Mastery
• Feature on RIWGs: Research and Innovation in the Maths Hubs Network
• Explore previous episodes of the NCETM podcast in our archive.