An integral part of the Post-16 Institutions Strategic Goal is to ensure that all students studying maths at post-16 make good progress and are well prepared for their future education and career pathways. Post-16 maths is compulsory for students who fail to achieve a grade 4 or above in GCSE Mathematics. Supporting GCSE resit/Functional Skills maths is now a specific remit of the NCETM and the Maths Hubs Programme. The intention is that all teachers of FE GCSE resit/FSQ students will be supported to use teaching for mastery pedagogy to help improve student outcomes.

The FE Centres for Excellence in Mathematics (CfEM) programme came to an end in March 2023, their work having shown that teaching for mastery approaches are effective at improving learning outcomes for post-16 GCSE Mathematics and Functional Skills students. This programme builds on the CfEM’s research, aligning with the NCETM’s Five Big Ideas and the principles of the Essence of Mathematics Teaching for Mastery. 

Maths Hubs will recruit practitioners of post-16 GCSE Maths resit and/or Functional Skills Maths who are currently employed in a post-16 setting and regularly teaching maths to students aged 16-19 who come under the Condition of Funding policy. The NCETM will provide specialist post-16 GCSE/FSQ support for this recruitment as needed.

Participants will have at least two years’ experience teaching post-16 GCSE/FSQ maths, with the capacity to lead change within their own institutions. Participants may be based in FE colleges, Sixth Form colleges, or other post-16 settings.

Participants will be able to fulfil the programme requirements and time commitments.

• First year – Development year of practitioners’ own teaching for mastery approaches, requiring 15 days of teacher release time for central events, practice-based work and collaboration.



• Second year and beyond – Upon completion of the Post-16 GCSE/FSQ Mastery Specialist Programme, participants will join a collaborative cohort of Mastery Specialists according to their provision type. Participants will continue to develop teaching for mastery approaches in their own institutions, disseminating training to their colleagues whilst being supported by peers in the collaborative cohort. They will also take part in the NCETM’s PD Lead Programme to enhance their skills of developing and facilitating professional development.

Post-16 GCSE/FSQ Mastery Specialists will become part of the Maths Hubs LLME Community.