The role of the maths coordinator and the national numeracy strategy in England

Abstract

The role of the mathematics coordinator has become increasingly demanding over the last 10 years. Implementing the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) means that now all coordinators must come to terms with delivering In-Service Education for Teachers (INSET) sessions, monitoring the classroom teaching of their colleagues, sharing subject expertise, as well as coordinating their work with the local education authority (LEA) NNS consultants. This article reports on research which includes a focus on how some coordinators are coping with these demands – at the aspects of the role they find problematic, the nature and causes of their difficulties, and also at the way in which they are growing in confidence and relishing the new challenges they are encountering. Six characteristics of coordination and the whole school environment in which the coordinators work are identified as facilitating their role as agents of change – the coordinators' enthusiasm for the role; their vision of goals and ways of working with colleagues to achieve them; ‘balance’ between coordinator and headteacher; coherence and consistency between members of the school community; high priority given to resourcing the role and the availability and use of external support.