What is Targeted Support in Mathematics?
Whether your school is new to working with the Great North Maths Hub or currently participating in a Teaching for Mastery Work Group or Secondary Subject Leaders community, Targeted Support in Maths can support your school to develop mathematics curriculum and teaching.
Depending on individual school needs, the hub can provide additional, bespoke support to enhance the impact of engaging in our standard activity — or offer intensive support that complements, but temporarily replaces, engagement in standard hub activity.
Working in collaboration with other stakeholders, the hub aims to support leaders in building capacity and sustainability for changes to the mathematics curriculum and teaching.
ENHANCED AND INTENSIVE SUPPORT
We can offer two types of fully funded Targeted Support in Mathematics, free to participating schools.
Enhanced Support
Enhanced Support can be offered to schools who are currently engaging with the hub and would benefit from additional bespoke support (1-3, visits) from one of our LLME in order to meet the intended hub activity outcomes.
Enhanced
Intensive Support
Intensive Support is available to schools that meet agreed criteria through a referral process — often those new to a Maths Hub, or returning after a pause in engagement. Schools receive, on average, 6 days of bespoke support from an Intensive Support partner over an agreed period.
intensive
Targeted Support in Mathematics — Enhanced
Enhanced Support is provided to help leaders and teachers implement change more effectively whilst participating in the general Maths Hub offer.
Your school can apply for Enhanced Support if you are part of:
- Primary Teaching for Mastery, Introductory group or standard Work Groups
- Secondary Teaching for Mastery Work Groups
- Secondary Maths Subject Leaders Community
The enhanced provision is targeted at schools identified by our LLME (Local Leaders of Maths Education) or by school leaders and their Work Group participants. The support is tailored to address specific barriers to implementation, so that the hub’s existing offer has greater impact.
Schools might benefit from additional support for several reasons, for example:
- to support a subject leader who is new to the role
- guidance to develop fluency or use manipulatives
- help to embed Mastering Number at KS1 and Early Years with staff new to the role
Enhanced Support is most likely to involve an LLME providing school visits within the academic year. Depending on the school’s needs, an LLME can provide, on average, 3 support visits over an agreed period.
Targeted Support in Mathematics — Intensive
Intensive Support helps school leaders build the capacity to make lasting change, laying strong foundations so that a school can benefit fully from the Great North Maths Hub’s teaching for mastery offer.
Intensive Support is designed for schools that:
- have never engaged with a Maths Hub, or
- have paused their engagement and need support to get back on track.
It is aimed at schools that first need to develop additional capacity before they are able to benefit from the hub’s standard activity. Schools are identified through a formal referral process based on agreed criteria (for example, attainment data or Ofsted findings). A school may be referred to the hub or apply directly, with participation depending on meeting the criteria and being ready to commit.
To achieve a positive, lasting impact, schools need to be committed to long-term improvement in mathematics and to working closely with the Great North Maths Hub over several years — including a commitment to joining a Teaching for Mastery Work Group in the future.
Each participating school is assigned an Intensive Support Partner (ISP), experienced in leading whole-school change. Working together, the ISP and school leaders will explore, plan, deliver and sustain a tailored improvement plan, supported by a named Targeted Support Contact (TSC) within the school. Intensive Support is initially, on average, 6 days of support, with additional grant funding of up to 6 days available to release staff to carry out the agreed actions.
The intended outcomes of Intensive Support are to:
- build the capacity and culture needed to improve the teaching and learning of maths
- develop a strong, sustained relationship with the Great North Maths Hub
- ensure the school begins to benefit from the hub's teaching for mastery offer.
Like all Targeted Support, Intensive Support is funded by the Maths Hubs Programme and is free to participating schools.