The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP)

The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme

The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) is a government-funded initiative. It is led and delivered by MEI, with Etio (formerly Tribal Group) as a key partner. The AMSP contract started in May 2018 and was preceded by the Further Mathematics Support Programme which was led by MEI from 2009-2018. The AMSP aims to increase participation in Core Maths, AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics, and support improvement in the teaching of these level 3 maths qualifications.

The AMSP provides national support for teachers and students in state-funded schools and colleges in England. Additional, targeted support is offered in areas of low social mobility and low participation in Level 3 maths with the aim of increasing opportunities for all students to study maths post-16, regardless of their location, gender, ethnicity, or background.

There is close liaison between all teams working on the AMSP contract with EEI providing the Regional Leads. The regions are: East of England, East Midlands, London and the South East, North East, North West, South, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber. Within each region there are Area Coordinators (ACs) who are contracted to Partner Institutions funded by MEI through the AMSP funding as sub-contractors. The Regional Leads lead and direct the work of the ACs to engage with all state-funded schools within the region and run regional events which complement the nationally organised student events and teacher professional development offered as part of the AMSP.

The AMSP works in collaboration with the NCETM/Maths Hub to provide a seamless free at the point of delivery mathematics offer to state-funded schools, the AMSP focuses on 16-19 teacher professional development with complements the teacher professional development offer from NCETM/Maths Hub. There are three co-funded AMSP/Maths Hub teacher professional development opportunities:

• New to teaching Core Maths programme
• Developing Core Maths Pedagogy Work Group
• Developing A level Pedagogy Work Group

The AMSP also engages with students from Year 8 onwards through mathematics competitions and provides information about the mathematics options post-16 particularly Core Maths, AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics with the intention of increase the participation in the three subjects. The AMSP work with a wide range of other agencies including Maths4Girls, the Careers Enterprise Company and STEM ambassadors. There is also a wide range of support for 16-19 students who want to study a mathematics based subject in Higher Education, there is regular problem solving classes supporting students who want to sit University Admission Tests and events focused purely on girls’ participation to try and redress the gender imbalance of those considering taking a mathematics related course in a higher education establishment.

AMSP KPIs

Broadly speaking the KPIs are split into four categories:

• The number of schools offering Key Stage 4 mathematics that have been engaged
• The number of 16-19 students who are engaged in events to support mathematical problem solving in preparation for further study of mathematically based subject in a higher education establishment
• The number of teacher hours of professional development completed across five main areas:
  • Extended courses – courses that run from a minimum of three months to a year
  • A level mathematics and Further Mathematics
  • University Admissions Test
  • Core Maths
  • Higher level GCSE mathematics
• The engagement of priority area schools in each of the three bullet points above.

Priority Areas

The AMSP and Department for Education (DfE) identified 63 local authorities and 6 Opportunity Areas as Priority Areas; these are areas of the country that data on deprivation and disadvantage suggests would benefit from focused support. Of these 63 Priority Areas, a subset of 36 local authorities have been identified as having low participation in Level 3 maths. This subset is referred as Targeted Support for Level 3 Maths Areas (TSMAs).

Impact

In the academic year 2022-2023 the AMSP:

• Worked with 1315 schools, 36% of all state-funded schools with a KS4 cohort. 619 of these schools were within a Priority Area, 49% of schools within designated priority areas. This exceeded the KPI.
• 4689 students, 2694 from priority areas have attended events that support the progression to work and university study in STEM, this exceeded the KPI.
• 641 teachers attended extended courses, 220 from priority areas, both of these measures exceeded the KPI.
• A total of 14515 teacher hours (4085 teacher hours from priority school teachers) were received by teachers with a focus on A level mathematics and Further Mathematics, this was slightly below the KPI.
• 970 teacher hours (293 priority area teacher hours) were received by teachers with a focus on University Admission Tests, slightly below the KPI.
• 10192 teacher hours (2311 priority area teacher hours) were received by teacher with a focus on Core Maths, this exceeded the KPI.
• 4606 teacher hours (1924 priority area teacher hours) were received by teacher with a focus on Higher Level GCSE, this exceeded the KPI.
• 37% of all engagement with the AMSP was from Priority schools which exceeded the 33% of the KPI
• 203 TSMA schools and colleges received bespoke support from the ACs.

The AMSP has therefore impacted upon many students, teachers and schools. The teachers have a better understanding of the pedagogy and required subject knowledge to confidently teach higher level GCSE, A level mathematics, Further Mathematics and Core Maths, Students are more aware of the mathematical pathways open to them and the impact it can have on their careers and potential earnings with all of the societal benefits which go with that. Schools are aware of the support provided and can use this to support the retention of mathematics teachers.