Huge Government boost will fund many more Maths Champions
The Government has acknowledged the benefits of investing in early intervention programmes and is fully funding more than 1800 additional places on the Maths Champions programme.
Maths Champions delivered by National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) supports early years practitioners with their confidence and ability to teach maths to children in early years settings.
Thanks to the Department for Education’s funding, a further 1810 nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools will be able to participate in the Maths Champions programme starting between February and June 2026.
Maths Champions is an evidence-based, professional development programme aimed at increasing early years practitioner skills, knowledge, awareness and confidence in maths.
An independent evaluation of the programme commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), discovered that participating children made an average of three months’ additional progress in maths and language development. The analysts from the Universities of Durham and York found that the progress had longer-lasting effects, extending into the end of their school reception year.
They also discovered that children from disadvantaged backgrounds in receipt of Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) made, on average, six months’ additional progress. Since the study, more than a thousand nurseries have benefitted from the programme and staff confidence in supporting children with maths has continued to rise.
Tim McLachlan, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), said: “Expanding NDNA’s Maths Champions programme, so that almost 2,000 more settings across England are fully funded to take part, will benefit thousands more children. The programme has been shown, by the EEF funded study, to make a big difference to a child’s life chances.
“Maths Champions is a professional development programme which focuses on boosting early years practitioners knowledge and confidence in teaching early maths. Individual ‘Champions’ will be trained and supported in each setting to embed rich maths learning environments and opportunities into everyday routines. These ensure children are given the essential building blocks that stay with them through school and into later life.
“A thorough academic evaluation funded by EEF showed that children in a setting with a Maths Champion made three months’ additional progress in their maths and language skills, compared to settings not in the programme. For disadvantaged children this could be as much as six months’ additional progress.
“Many children are already behind their peers by the time they start school and struggle to catch up. Supporting all children with evidence based programmes in their early years really can make all the difference to their futures. And give them the best start in life.”
Nurseries which enrol on the programme nominate a maths champion and a deputy maths champion who support, inspire and motivate the staff within their setting. They receive training over the course of a year including one-to-one support sessions, bespoke online training courses, a library of resources and play-based activities.
Early Education Minister, Stephen Morgan said:
“It’s vital to our Plan for Change that we close learning gaps before they get the chance to grow. That’s why we’re backing successful, evidence-based programmes like Maths Champions – helping early years staff build their confidence in teaching maths and setting children up for success.
“By funding more nurseries to take part, we’re supporting staff and helping more children – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – gain the skills they need to start school ready to learn.
“This is exactly what our Best Start in Life Strategy is designed to do – raise quality, close gaps, and break down barriers to opportunity for every child.”
Emily Yeomans, co-CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) said:
“The government’s Best Start in Life strategy recognised the importance of using evidence-informed programmes to improve outcomes for young children. Maths Champions is a great example of this in action, offering a proven way to boost early mathematical development.
“Our previous trials have shown Maths Champions to be an effective, low-cost option to build mathematical development for children in the long term. So it’s great that more early years settings will be able to benefit from the programme.”
To apply for the fully funded Maths Champions programme, nurseries must have at least six children aged three to four in their setting. The allocated Maths Champion in each setting must qualified to at least Level 3.
Case Study
Staff at Little Grange Nursery in Wokingham have recently completed the programme.
Their maths champion said: “Practitioners have gained a better understanding of how to make maths engaging and accessible to young children. They now feel more equipped to use mathematical language naturally during daily routines and spontaneous play, knowing how to support and extend children’s thinking in a meaningful way.
“Practitioners now regularly discuss strategies, share ideas and reflect on how best to implement maths activities in the nursery setting. They’ve learned how to observe children’s interests and tailor mathematical experiences to suit individual needs and developmental stages.
“A key takeaway from the programme has been the importance of using specific and consistent mathematical language. Practitioners are now more mindful of modelling terms such as more, less, equal, bigger, smaller, and pattern, both during planned activities and in everyday interactions.
“Practitioners have gained strategies for differentiating activities and supporting children who may find some mathematical concepts challenging. This has led to more personalised learning experiences and ensured that every child can access and enjoy maths in a way that is meaningful to them. Staff now feel more empowered and motivated to continue developing their practice and they are enthusiastic about the ongoing opportunities for learning and growth that the programme has created.”
Nurseries can sign up here Maths Champions Expression of Interest
Find out more about the programme www.ndna.org.uk/maths
Similar Articles
Parent survey shows benefits and challenges of funded childcare policy
Government publishes its strategy “Giving every child the best start in life”
