Published March 18, 2026 Written by Kerrie Thompson

Join the next wave of NDNA Maths Champions programme: 5,000 new fully funded places for nurseries in England

We’re really pleased to announce that the Department for Education will fund 5,000 additional places on NDNA’s Maths Champions programme, opening the door for even more early years settings across England to take part.

The programme supports nursery practitioners to feel more confident about maths and helps them recognise the many ways mathematical thinking can be encouraged throughout the day, from play and routines to conversations with children.

It’s designed for all types of settings, including private, voluntary and independent nurseries as well as those based in schools.

Maths Champions has already helped tens of thousands of children build stronger early numeracy skills.

Importantly, the benefits go beyond maths alone, children also show improvements in language development and communication.

Helping children thrive through maths from the start

NDNA Chief Executive Tim McLachlan said the new funding is an exciting step for the sector:

“We’re absolutely thrilled to see the Government investing in more places on our Maths Champions programme. It means thousands more practitioners will be able to build their confidence with maths and, in turn, support the children in their care to develop strong early number skills.

“When children have positive experiences with maths in their early years, it sets them up with confidence that can last throughout their education. Programmes like this show just how powerful early intervention can be.”

Independent research has shown the programme can make a meaningful difference. An evaluation carried out by researchers from the Universities of Durham and York found that children in settings taking part in Maths Champions made around three months’ extra progress in maths and language development.

For children from disadvantaged backgrounds, the gains were even greater. Those eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium made the equivalent of six months’ additional progress in maths, with improvements continuing once they moved into reception year at school.

Since the programme was first evaluated, it has continued to grow. More than 65,000 children have now benefited from attending a nursery taking part in Maths Champions, including nearly 12,000 children eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium.

The training focuses on helping staff feel comfortable and confident talking about and exploring maths with children in everyday situations.

Making maths part of everyday nursery life

Stella Ziolkowski, NDNA’s Director of Quality and Training, said:

“One of the most important parts of Maths Champions is building practitioners’ confidence. When staff feel comfortable with maths themselves, they’re much more likely to spot those everyday opportunities to explore numbers, patterns and problem-solving with children.

“Each setting has a Champion and Deputy Champion who work alongside an NDNA mentor before sharing their learning with the rest of the team. That way the whole setting benefits and maths becomes part of the culture across the nursery.”

The programme is delivered online and fully funded for participating nurseries, making it easier for busy teams to fit it around their day-to-day work.

Watch our latest videos

We’ve also recently filmed nurseries taking part in the programme, highlighting how small changes in practice can create a maths-rich environment and spark children’s curiosity.

Feedback from settings taking part has been overwhelmingly positive

After our own evaluation, we can proudly show that:

99% of settings reported a positive impact on their nursery
98% said their understanding of supporting children’s maths development improved
99% would recommend the programme to other settings
100% said the course benefited the children in their care

Practitioners themselves say the difference has been clear

Sarah Sexton from St Michael’s Nursery in Barnstaple, Devon, said:

“The difference the Maths Champions Programme has made for our setting, our team and the children has been fantastic. Our confidence in teaching maths has grown and we’ve worked together to create a really maths-rich environment.

Who knew we would all become so excited about maths!”

Adele Younger, Thomas Bewick C of E Primary School, Ashington, Northumberland:

“I’m so pleased I had the opportunity to be a part of this programme. In the beginning I was so worried, but over time my worries settled and I found it really exciting and beneficial to the setting, staff and children.”

Join the Maths Champions Programme

Register your interest today to be among the first to hear when applications open for the next cohort of the fully funded NDNA Maths Champions programme. Don’t miss the opportunity to strengthen your team’s confidence in teaching maths and support children to build strong foundations for learning.

The Maths Champions programme is a fully funded initiative, the only criteria for nurseries is that:

they must have one or more three or four-year-old child in their setting

the Maths Champions must be at least Level 3 qualified.

The next round of places will start between July and November 2026 and nurseries can express an interest in places now. The programme will continue to run until June 2029.

England
early education
early years
funding
NDNA
nurseries
Survey