Annual Review
& Accounts
2013-2014
MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Executive Statement
In this, MEI’s first annual review, we
consider the highlights of the last
academic year and look forward to what
the next year may bring.
Government recognition of the importance
to the economy of a population able to
use maths effectively in the workplace has
inspired unprecedented levels of change in
mathematics education:
»» a new, more demanding National
Curriculum has just been introduced
»» new, more demanding, Mathematics
GCSEs are being introduced, for first
teaching from September 2015
»» for those who do not achieve a grade C or
above at age 16, and who continue in fulltime study, new 16-19 Study Programmes
mean they must keep studying towards
passing GCSE Mathematics.
These changes represent huge challenges
to maths education, particularly in curriculum
development and in the professional
development of teachers. I believe this review
shows the huge contribution MEI is making,
and will continue to make in the future, to help
meet them.
»» new AS/A levels in Mathematics and Further
Mathematics are expected to follow in 2016
»» new Core Maths qualifications have
been developed for those students who
achieve a grade C or better in GCSE
Mathematics, but who do not want to
study AS/A level Mathematics
Charlie Stripp
Chief Executive, MEI
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MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Who we are
Mathematics in Education and Industry
is an independent national charity
committed to improving maths education
and to supporting maths learning in
the workplace.
We support the teaching, learning
and assessment of maths. We work
to achieve this directly, through
partnerships, and by influencing and
advising on policy development.
We aim to develop understanding, confidence
and enjoyment in using maths, to encourage
the participation and engagement of learners,
and to support and inspire teachers.
Our people
MEI has a highly committed team of people all
working hard to achieve our aims.
We have 10 trustees, who are also directors
of the charity. Their diverse career paths have
included school and university teaching,
business management, engineering and
consultancy, and they bring a wealth of
experience to MEI. They are committed to
ensuring that MEI’s corporate governance is
both robust and true to our values.
Our academic staff, who are experts in maths
education, are based all over England. We also
have a great support team based at our offices
in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, managing the financial
and administrative aspects of our work.
In addition we have an Advisory Panel of
external experts who provide us with informal
strategic advice.
Our members
Individual teachers can choose to become
members of MEI and contribute to our work,
and we offer free membership and support
to Mathematics Teacher training Scholars.
2
Schools and colleges can also register with us
for free as Educational Associates.
We encourage our members and associates
to participate in our work, particularly with our
curriculum development programmes, and to
engage in curricular consultations.
Our Work
Our work includes developing specifications
and schemes of assessment, providing
professional development opportunities
for teachers, and publishing teaching and
learning resources including our highly
regarded ‘Integral’ online resources.
We also provide direct support to students
through the highly successful Further
Mathematics Support Programme (FMSP),
which is funded by the Department for
Education (DfE). This programme was
developed by MEI and has been managed by
us since its inception in 2005.
We focus on the education of 11-19 year-olds,
supporting all learners following academic and
vocational pathways. We are also involved in
adult and higher education.
Most of our work is based in England and
Wales, but we also support maths education
in other parts of the world, generally in an
advisory capacity.
Who we work with
We have a rich network of relationships with
beneficiaries, partners and other stakeholders.
We often collaborate with other organisations
to extend the reach and impact of our work.
MEI is a partner in the consortium that
manages the DfE-funded National Centre for
Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics
(NCETM). Charlie Stripp, MEI’s Chief
Executive, is also Director of the NCETM,
seconded from MEI on a half-time basis.
Top: Carol Knights leads our work on
KS4 extension and enrichment
Middle: Simon Clay leads our Teaching
Advanced Mathematics courses
Bottom: Bernard Murphy leads our
Teacher Support Programme
MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Left: Experiencing how maths is used
in the workplace
Top: Debbie Barker leads our Teaching
GCSE Maths course
Bottom: In 2013 Stella Dudzic,
Programme Leader for Curriculum
at MEI, was appointed by the Royal
Statistical Society as the Guy Lecturer
to tour schools to increase the visibility
of statistics
MEI’s discussion and
position papers on
government initiatives and
policies are always a model
of logical analysis and
common sense.
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MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
The maths
education environment
The educational environment in England
continues to change rapidly and this has
had a major impact on our work over the
last year.
The government has made maths education
a high priority, driving forward a number of
fast-paced educational reforms, including
major curriculum and qualification changes
and the implementation of plans to encourage
all young people to continue to study maths
between the ages of 16 and 19.
Towards the end of the year the government
launched its ‘Your Life’ Campaign, which
aims to encourage more young people and
especially girls to study more maths and
physics. MEI and the FMSP have signed up
to this campaign and contributed pledges to
support it.
We hope that these changes, combined with
the efforts of MEI and other campaigns and
organisations, will have a positive impact not
only on participation in maths education at all
ages, but also on attitudes to maths.
Working towards GCSE Maths
At the beginning of last year the government
introduced 16-19 Study Programmes, a core
principle of which is that any student who
has not achieved grade A* to C in GCSE
Mathematics and English by the age of 16
must continue to work towards achieving it.
Coinciding with the introduction of 16-19 Study
Programmes, young people are required to
stay in education or training until the summer
after they reach age 17. From 2015 this rises to
the summer after they reach age 18.
Together, these changes have resulted in
a huge increase in the number of learners
working towards resitting GCSE Mathematics.
There is also a significant shortfall in the
number of maths specialist teachers
in the post-16 Education and Training
4
sector, and many teachers in this sector
lack confidence in maths themselves.
Over the last couple of years, MEI has been
engaged in supporting this sector. We had
already devised professional development
courses targeted at Functional Skills
Mathematics and resit GCSE Mathematics and
last year, funded by the DfE, we developed two
free guides to support the integration of the
maths study and work experience elements of
16-19 Study Programmes.
Core Maths
MEI has long championed the principle that
young people should continue to participate
in maths education after achieving grade
C or better in GCSE Mathematics. We were
therefore delighted that the government
decided to introduce new level 3 Core Maths
qualifications. From 2016 these will count
within the TechBacc1 performance measure,
and from 2017 they will also count within the
proposed level 3 maths measure2 in 16-19
performance tables.
Core Maths qualifications are designed for
students who have achieved grade C or
better in GCSE Mathematics, but who do not
intend to take AS/A level Mathematics. They
enable learners to strengthen and develop the
mathematical knowledge and skills they have
learnt at GCSE so that they can apply them to
the problems that they will encounter in further
study, life and employment.
MEI was funded by the DfE to develop a
curriculum suitable for Core Maths based on
the ideas of Professor Sir Timothy Gowers.
The curriculum is called ‘Critical Maths’ and is
designed to develop high level mathematical
reasoning skills in the context of real problems.
DfE (2013). The Technical Baccalaureate Performance
Table Measure
2
DfE (2014). Core Maths Qualifications: Technical Guidance
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MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
MEI was funded by the DfE to develop a
curriculum suitable for Core Maths based
on the ideas of Professor Sir Timothy Gowers.
The curriculum is called ‘Critical Maths’
and is designed to develop high level
mathematical reasoning skills in the
context of real problems.
Left to right: Stella Dudzic,
Programme Leader (Curriculum),
Charlie Stripp, MEI Chief Executive,
Professor Sir Timothy Gowers, Terry
Dawson, Curriculum Developer
The curriculum, sample assessments and
resources were made available to all of the
awarding bodies to support their development
of Core Maths qualifications.
Over the last year we have worked intensively,
in partnership with the OCR awarding body,
to design a new specification suitable for
Core Maths designation. Time was tight as
it needed to be in place for early-adopter
schools and colleges, so they could begin
teaching Core Maths from September 2014.
In the end we developed not one but two
different specifications: the Quantitative
Problem Solving (MEI) Level 3 Certificate,
which emphasises the development
of statistical problem solving skills,
and the Quantitative Reasoning (MEI)
Level 3 Certificate, which incorporates
approaches from our Critical Maths
curriculum. Both qualifications build on
the Level 3 Certificate in Quantitative
Methods that we developed in partnership
A Critical Maths problem example
The worldwide average for airline luggage
going astray is 6.96 bags per thousand
passengers. For LoAir, less than 0.36 bags
per thousand passengers go astray.
What impression does this give you?
Does knowing that LoAir charge for
checked luggage and that many of their
passengers travel with hand luggage only
change your mind?
What would be a fair way to compare
airline performance on getting luggage
to the right place?
with OCR, and which was accredited for
first teaching from September 2014.
We hope that these qualifications will
also meet the DfE’s requirements for
designated Core Maths qualifications.
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MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Girls made up only 39% of
A level Mathematics students
and 28% of A level Further
Mathematics students.
GCSE and AS/A level curriculum
change
The year was also a significant one for
changes in the design of the GCSE and AS/A
level curricula and qualifications.
MEI always participates in national
consultations related to maths, contributing
solutions and strategies to improve maths
education and speaking out against proposals
we believe will be detrimental. Given the extent
and likely duration of the proposed changes to
GCSE and AS/A level qualifications, we were
particularly active in developing our responses
to both DfE and Ofqual consultations.
We were also proactive in ensuring that
teachers were informed of the proposed
changes and the impact they might have.
As we move into 2014-15 we are fully engaged
in developing specifications for the new
AS/A levels in Mathematics and Further
Mathematics, which are planned to be ready
for first teaching from September 2016.
Maths Hubs
In July 2014 lead schools were selected for a
new, DfE-funded initiative to form a network
of 35 Maths Hubs across England. These
will provide strategic leadership in maths
teaching by coordinating support to improve
the maths provision in schools and colleges in
their regions; supporting the implementation
of national programmes; exemplifying good
practice; and testing innovations.
The Maths Hubs programme is managed by
the NCETM and is a further significant change
to the maths education landscape in England.
As a key partner in the NCETM consortium,
MEI has been instrumental in the development
of the Maths Hubs programme. The FMSP is
a national Strategic Partner in the programme
and MEI is actively engaging with the Hubs at
a local level.
Changing attitudes towards maths
This summer’s A level examinations once
again showed a rise in the number of students
taking AS and A level Mathematics and
Further Mathematics. These two subjects
are more popular than ever before and
Mathematics overtook English as the most
popular A level subject in the UK, with 88,816
entries compared with 85,336 for English.
The supply of suitably prepared students
for mathematically-rich degree courses and
careers has never been better, although there
is still a need for many more young people to
study maths to this level.
There is also a need to address the gender
imbalance among students taking the maths
A levels; despite substantial increases in girls’
participation, in 2014 in England girls made up
only 39% of A level Mathematics students and
28% of A level Further Mathematics students3.
MEI has played a significant role in increasing
participation in maths A levels and we will
continue to work to raise participation in post16 mathematics and to address the gender
imbalance. There is still a long way to go,
but it does seem that the tide is beginning
to turn in public attitudes to maths in the UK.
Young people are now much more aware of
the importance of working hard in maths at
school and college, and of the value of maths
skills in enabling them to access exciting
careers and degree courses. It’s becoming
far less cool to say “I can’t do maths”.
Source JCQ
3
6
The Royal Institution and the FMSP
held the Celebrating Women in
Mathematics event, which was
attended by 300 students.
MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Highlights of the year
Teacher Support
MEI supports teachers in many ways, but one
of the most valued is our delivery of highquality, inspirational professional development.
Last year we broadened our range to include
a Head of Maths course and a New National
Curriculum course. We also expanded the
delivery of our year-long Teaching Advanced
Mathematics (TAM) course to ten cohorts,
working with eight different university partners.
In addition we made a major contribution to a
maths education initiative funded by the
London Schools Excellence Fund (LSEF),
running six projects across London to
improve teaching and learning in GCSE
and A level Mathematics.
MEI’s annual conference
A regular highlight every year is MEI’s
annual three-day conference. Our 2014
conference was no exception, with many
considering it our best ever.
Over 170 teachers took part and there was a
real buzz throughout, with maths discussions
going on day and night, whether in workshops
or scribbled on a napkin over dinner.
Student Support
Most of MEI’s direct work with students takes
place through the FMSP, which provides
tuition to students of AS and A level Further
Mathematics and enrichment and extension
at KS4 and KS5.
The FMSP works in many ways to encourage
schools and colleges to develop their
capacity to teach AS/A level Further
Mathematics and to increase participation to
levels at which it is viable for them to offer the
tuition themselves. As a result, the demand
for FMSP tuition of AS and A level Further
Mathematics has been falling for several
years, which is an encouraging trend. This
has continued, with the number of students
reducing from 373 to 251.
Last year the contract to manage the Further
Mathematics Support Programme (FMSP)
from April 2014 was put out to tender and MEI,
working in partnership with the NCETM and
the Institute of Education, was successful in
securing it. The level of funding is greater than
in previous contracts and this has enabled
us to increase our support for teachers and
enrichment opportunities for students.
In addition to continuing to increase
participation in AS/A level Further
Mathematics, the contract has some exciting
new targets, including; increasing the numbers
of girls taking AS/A level Mathematics and
Further Mathematics; providing trainee
Top: Delegates enjoy MEI’s 2014
Annual Conference
Below: Last year the FMSP organised
over 50 enrichment events for students
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MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Not only do we aim to improve maths
skills in the workplace, we also develop
materials to bring examples of
applications of maths from the workplace
into maths teaching and learning.
teachers with support for teaching A level
Mathematics; persuading more university
courses to make encouraging statements to
prospective students about studying AS/A
level Mathematics and Further Mathematics;
and increasing participation of students in
state-funded schools and colleges taking
the Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP),
Advanced Extension Award in Mathematics
(AEA), and Mathematics Admissions Test
(MAT) exams that several top universities
now include as entry requirements.
MEI provides tuition for STEP, AEA and
MAT exams and last year the number of
students receiving MEI support for these
courses rose from 310 to 457. MEI works
directly with the University of Cambridge,
UCL and the University of Warwick to
support their applicants to prepare for
these exams. The FMSP also provides
support for local problem-solving, STEP,
AEA and MAT classes for students, and
associated professional development for
their teachers, often hosted by universities.
New resources
Throughout last year we continued to expand
our extensive bank of teaching and learning
resources, many of which support specific
curricula or professional development courses.
We are able to offer some of these resources
free of charge through sponsorship.
The development of new technology and
its use in education continues apace and
MEI is always seeking new ways in which
it can be used to improve teaching and
learning in maths. Last year we started
to develop new resources for tablets,
including mathematical games, and we
will continue this work into the future.
For several years the FMSP had run online
revision sessions for most AS and A level
8
AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics
entries in England
150000
125000
100000
30000
AS Level
Mathematics
A Level
Mathematics
25000
AS Level Further
Mathematics
A Level Further
Mathematics
20000
75000
15000
50000
10000
25000
5000
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Mathematics and Further Mathematics
units. Last year these were replaced by
a suite of revision videos, which have
been viewed over 60,000 times.
Maths in the workplace
MEI continues to engage with employers in
several ways. Not only do we aim to improve
maths skills in the workplace, we also develop
materials to bring examples of applications of
maths from the workplace into maths teaching
and learning.
2011
2012
2013
2014
0
The interactive
learning
resources are
very helpful as
they allow you
to study in a
different way.
MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
A particular success last year was working with
the Royal Navy to train their instructors and
tutors in delivering support for personnel at sea
who are preparing to resit IGCSE Mathematics.
In January we ran a pilot event to provide KS3
and KS4 teachers with examples of ways
in which GCSE Mathematics is used in the
workplace. The aim was to help them enrich
their teaching and give them answers to
the frequently asked question, “When does
anybody ever use this stuff?”. The event was
very well-received and we intend to run similar
events in 2014-15.
MEI is also keen to engage with employers in
the future of maths education. Last year we
canvassed many employers for their views
on our new designs for Core Maths. We also
involved employers, including several small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in
research into the future of post-16 vocational
maths education.
Above: Ann Cherry, Engineering
Analyst at Anthony Best Dynamics
Ltd answers the question “When does
anybody ever use this stuff?”
Left: MEI Conference 2014 delegates
explore new uses of technology to
support maths teaching and learning
MEI is doing a
great job to raise
the standard and
aspiration of my
teaching.
9
MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Financial review
MEI Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2014
(Incorporating an Income and Expenditure Account)
Extract from audited accounts
INCOMING RESOURCES
Unrestricted
funds
£
Restricted
funds
£
2014
Total funds
£
2013
Total funds
£
66,912
–
66,912
65,709
294,278
–
294,278
298,900
1,795
–
1,795
1,781
64,357
–
64,357
30,116
252,965
281,171
534,136
294,403
Incoming resources from generated funds
Voluntary income
Activities for generating funds
Investment income
Incoming resources from charitable activities
Curriculum Development
Continuing Professional Development
Industry Links
28,643
–
28,643
20,686
–
3,775,683
3,775,683
3,570,091
708,950
4,056,854
4,765,804
4,281,686
83,353
–
83,353
97,552
Curriculum Development
308,804
11,167
319,971
320,546
Continuing Professional Development
132,913
216,198
349,111
251,477
79,256
-
79,256
104,284
–
3,779,454
3,779,454
3,489,982
47,100
–
47,100
51,853
651,426
4,006,819
4,658,245
4,315,694
57,524
50,035
107,559
(34,008)
6,296
(6,296)
–
–
63,820
43,739
107,559
(34,008)
Total funds brought forward
828,041
312,107
1,140,148
1,174,156
TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD
891,861
355,846
1,247,707
1,140,148
Further Mathematics Support Programme
Total incoming resources
RESOURCES EXPENDED
Costs of generating funds
Fundraising trading: cost of goods sold
Charitable activities
Industry Links
Further Mathematics Support Programme
Governance costs
Total resources expended
NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)
FOR THE YEAR BEFORE TRANSFERS
Gross transfers between funds
Net income/(expenditure) for the year
RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS
10
MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
MEI’s income in 2013-14 rose
significantly, from £4,281,686 to
£4,765,804, as a result of increased
government funding for the FMSP and
our success in gaining new work.
Over the same period our expenditure
increased from £4,315,694 to £4,658,245,
reflecting our greater workload; however
our continued ability to deliver enhanced
productivity has meant we have avoided a
stepped increase in our cost base. The net
effect was therefore a surplus of £107,559,
compared with a deficit of £34,008 in the
previous year.
TAM developed
my pedagogical
skills beyond
what I thought
possible.
11
MEI ANNUAL REVIEW & ACCOUNTS 2013-2014
Looking ahead
2013-14 was an incredibly busy year for
us, with major changes arising from
government policies and a significant
expansion in all areas of our work.
Improving maths education will continue to be
a national priority because of the economic
benefits it brings, both to individuals and to
the nation as a whole. Through our work in
curriculum development and professional
development of teachers, MEI will continue
to play a leading role in expanding access to
high-quality maths education.
Get involved with us
There are various ways in which you
can keep in touch with us and support
our work.
If you are interested in contributing to
our work to improve maths education,
please consider becoming an individual
member of MEI. Benefits include voting
rights, regular communications related
to maths education, and discounts on
our annual conference and several of our
professional development courses.
Education providers can register with us free
of charge as Educational Associates and also
receive regular communications, including
topical teaching and learning resources.
If you are an employer, you might like to
consider supporting our work by becoming
a Corporate Associate. There is also a wide
range of opportunities to support our work
more directly, from showing us how you use
maths in your workplace to sponsoring our
activities. We can also help you to develop your
employees’ maths skills.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter
and LinkedIn.
To find out more, please visit our website.
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