National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics

What National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics does

The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) is a UK government initiative established in 2006 by the Department for Education in response to Professor Adrian Smith's 2004 "Making Mathematics Count" report, tasked with improving maths teaching across England's state-funded schools and colleges. It is not a standalone company but a contracted public service: the lead contract has been held by Etio (formerly Tribal Education Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tribal Group plc) since 2009, with the current contract beginning in summer 2022, and MEI (Mathematics in Education and Industry) operating as a key delivery partner. Its principal operational product is the Maths Hubs Programme, a national network of 40 Maths Hubs covering every region of England, through which over 2,000 Local Leaders of Mathematics Education coordinate Work Groups, Mastery Specialist training, Early Career Teacher programmes and Research and Innovation projects.

NCETM's product surface includes a comprehensive website hosting curriculum, lesson-planning, assessment and CPD materials (Primary and Secondary Mastery PD materials, Curriculum Prioritisation, 250+ KS3 Checkpoints, the Mastering Number Programme, Specialist Knowledge programmes for Early Career Teachers), the NCETM Maths Podcast, and a multi-channel communications stack (X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky, three newsletter strands). Distribution is community-led: schools are auto-served by their geographically mapped local Maths Hub, with no membership, registration or fees required. All services are free to state-funded schools and colleges in England, reflecting NCETM's DfE-funded, policy-mandated status. Strategic reach is limited to England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are explicitly out of scope.

The revenue model is a single government managed-services contract flowing through Etio, supplemented by hub-level funding distributed across the Maths Hubs Network. There are no public pricing tiers, no commercial customers, no external fundraising and no AI or proprietary technology stack; the underlying platform is a learning management system and content publishing estate, not a software product. The organisation is governed through a directorate of subject-specific Directors (Primary, Secondary, Post-16, System Leadership, School and Professional Development, Research/Evaluation/Impact, Targeted Support) and an extended team of Associate/Assistant Directors, with no disclosed headcount.

Name

National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics

Legal name

National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics

Website

https://ncetm.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The NCETM is a UK Department for Education-funded initiative, delivered under contract by Etio with MEI, that coordinates a national network of 40 Maths Hubs providing free professional development, teaching resources and training to state-funded schools and colleges across England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mathematics Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Subject-Specific Standards & Curriculum Councils (EDADAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education & Teacher Preparation (EDAGABAI), Early Numeracy & Math Readiness (EDAGACAB)

Keywords

• Mathematics teacher training
• Professional development education
• Maths hubs network
• Teaching for mastery
• Curriculum design resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The NCETM is funded by the Department for Education (DfE). The Department for Education and Skills (now the Department for Education) set up the NCETM in 2006 in response to Professor Adrian Smith's 2004 report 'Making Mathematics Count'. Tribal Group (now Etio) has been the principal body leading the contract since 2009.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The NCETM coordinates the Maths Hubs Programme — a network of 40 regional hubs across England — delivering free, government-funded continuing professional development (CPD) and curriculum resources for teachers of mathematics. It supports state-funded schools and colleges through programmes such as Teaching for Mastery, the Checkpoints diagnostic tool, Work Groups, Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics (SKTM), and Mastering Number, with content distributed via the NCETM website and directly through the Maths Hubs.

Product overview

The NCETM is a DfE-funded organization led and delivered by Etio with MEI as a key partner, established in 2006 to improve maths teaching across England. Its core offering consists of the Maths Hubs Programme (a national network of 40 regional hubs providing locally-based professional development) and a comprehensive website hosting freely available teaching materials. The product portfolio includes Teaching for Mastery resources (Primary and Secondary Mastery PD Materials, Curriculum Prioritisation Materials), diagnostic tools (Checkpoints for KS3), the Mastering Number Programme for Early Years and KS1, Specialist Knowledge programmes for Early Career Teachers, and Research and Innovation Work Groups. The NCETM Maths Podcast provides audio-based professional development content. All CPD is delivered through sustained engagement models (Work Groups, programmes, communities) rather than one-off courses, and is completely free to state-funded schools in England.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Etio: The organization (formerly Empowering Education International Ltd) that leads and delivers the NCETM, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tribal Group plc.

Products and services

• Maths Hubs Programme A national network of 40 regional hubs coordinating free, government-funded continuing professional development (CPD) for mathematics teachers across England. Each hub works with local schools and colleges to deliver teaching for mastery training and curriculum support.
• Teaching for Mastery Programme A pedagogical framework and accompanying CPD programme that trains teachers in a research-backed approach to mathematics teaching, delivered through Maths Hubs Work Groups and associated resources.
• Checkpoints A diagnostic assessment tool that helps teachers identify where individual pupils are in their mathematical understanding and plan next steps in learning.
• Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics (SKTM) Programmes CPD programmes designed to deepen teachers' specialist mathematical knowledge and pedagogy across primary and secondary phases, supporting professional development and career progression.
• Mastering Number Programme A programme supporting the development of number sense and fluency in early years and primary mathematics, delivered through Maths Hubs Work Groups and supporting resources.
• Work Groups Collaborative teacher development groups run by Maths Hubs, bringing together teachers from multiple schools to work on a specific aspect of maths teaching and learning over a sustained period.
• Curriculum Prioritisation Materials (CPM) Free curriculum design and prioritisation resources that help schools structure their mathematics curriculum to focus on the most important content and ensure coherent progression across key stages.
• Research and Innovation Work Groups Work Groups that engage teachers in collaborative research, innovation, and evaluation of maths teaching approaches, feeding into the wider evidence base for teaching for mastery.
• NCETM Maths Podcast A free podcast published by the NCETM featuring conversations with maths educators, researchers, and curriculum specialists, available on major podcast platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 in 3 schools in England have been involved with Maths Hubs and NCETM
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• Etio (formerly Tribal Education Services)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Etio (formerly Empowering Education International Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tribal Group plc) has been the principal body leading the NCETM contract since 2009. The organisation is responsible for leading and delivering the NCETM. Tribal Group is also responsible for data privacy matters. The current contract began in summer 2022.
• MEI (Mathematics in Education and Industry)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEI is a key partner in the leadership and management of the NCETM. MEI is a maths education charity that develops maths curricula, provides professional development and resources, and delivers student tuition and enrichment. MEI also manages the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP). Charlie Stripp, NCETM Director, is also Chief Executive of MEI.
• Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AMSP is government-funded and managed by MEI. It aims to increase participation in Core Maths, AS/A level Maths and Further Maths, and improve the teaching of these qualifications. The NCETM works closely with AMSP on Level 3 mathematics initiatives.
• Association of Mathematics Education Teachers (AMET)minorOthersAMET represents the maths teacher trainers in Higher Education and is represented on the Joint Mathematical Council. Listed as a partner organisation that may be of interest to maths teachers.
• Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM)minorOthersMembership of ATM is open to anyone with an interest in learning about and teaching maths. It supports teachers in exploring strategies which help learners enjoy and discover more about maths. Listed as a partner organisation.
• Mathematical Association (MA)minorOthersThe MA exists to bring about improvements in the teaching of maths and its applications, and to provide a means of communication among students and teachers of maths. Listed as a partner organisation.
• National Association of Mathematics Advisers (NAMA)minorOthersNAMA is a professional association open to all seeking to improve maths education beyond their own organisation. Its members include advisers, consultants, lecturers, researchers and inspectors. Listed as a partner organisation.
• National Association for Numeracy and Mathematics in Colleges (NANAMIC)minorOthersNANAMIC provides professional development for numeracy and maths teachers, and is a voice for the post-16 learning and skills sector. Listed as a partner organisation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National STEM Centre: Part of STEM Learning, the National STEM Centre hosts a large resource library and CPD programmes for science and maths teachers, overlapping with NCETM's resource and professional development offerings.
• BBC Bitesize: BBC Bitesize provides free educational resources aligned to the UK curriculum including maths. While serving pupils directly, it competes for teacher and parent attention and is government-funded via the BBC licence fee.
• STEM Learning: STEM Learning is a UK-based education charity providing CPD and resources across STEM subjects. While broader in scope than NCETM, it competes for teacher CPD time and government STEM education funding.
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a global free educational platform with substantial maths content for teachers and learners. While operating globally rather than UK-focused, it provides alternative free maths resources that UK teachers may use alongside NCETM materials.

Emerging players

• White Rose Maths: White Rose Maths provides maths schemes of learning, resources and CPD for UK primary and secondary schools. It operates in the same teaching-for-mastery influenced space as NCETM with paid school subscriptions.
• Third Space Learning: Third Space Learning is a UK-based online maths tuition and CPD provider targeting schools. It serves the same maths teacher and school audience with paid programmes, representing an emerging commercial alternative to NCETM's free CPD model.
• NRich (Cambridge Maths): NRich is a Cambridge University-affiliated maths enrichment resource for teachers and pupils. While not a CPD organisation, it provides maths teaching resources that compete for teacher attention alongside NCETM's classroom materials.
• Maths Factor: Maths Factor is a UK-based commercial maths learning platform providing resources and tutoring. It targets a similar maths teacher and parent audience in the UK, offering a paid alternative to NCETM's free materials.

Direct peers

• Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI): MEI is a UK maths education charity that develops curricula, provides professional development, and is a key partner in delivering NCETM programmes. Its work in teacher CPD and curriculum design directly overlaps with NCETM's remit.
• Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP): AMSP is government-funded and managed by MEI to increase participation in Core Maths, AS/A level Maths and Further Maths. It shares NCETM's focus on Level 3 maths teacher development and operates in close coordination with NCETM via a shared director.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ncetm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NCETM
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCETM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncetm
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncetm.official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics