We’re pleased to announce that we are partnering with education charity Ambition Institute to deliver the NPQ for Leading Primary Maths (NPQLPM)

This course is for teachers who lead on teaching maths in primary schools.

You’ll become an expert leader of primary mathematics and learn how to embed high-quality mastery approaches to maths teaching in your school.

  • A new NPQ for primary maths leads
  • Flexible learning to suit your timetable
  • Co-developed with the Ark Curriculum Plus

Choose our NPQ for Leading Primary Maths (NPQLPM) and you’ll be joining over 37,000 teachers (as of July 2025) and school leaders who’ve selected one of the new Ambition NPQs as of March 2024.

Evidence informed curriculum
Our carefully sequenced and evidence informed NPQLPM will help you to develop a positive culture for maths teaching and embed effective approaches to teaching maths across your primary setting.

Co-developed with AC+
This programme has been co-developed by Ambition and the AC+ Mathematics Mastery team. AC+ brought teaching for mastery to the UK, and their primary programme has proven impact of two months additional progress in a year.

Build on your mastery expertise
The programme has been designed for primary teachers and leaders who are familiar with mastery approaches to teaching maths. Use your existing mastery expertise and embed this across your school.

Access the latest maths research
This includes instruction, curriculum, assessment, culture, professional development and implementation. All of this content will be delivered through a primary and maths specific lens.

Train to your timetable
Our ‘little and often’ approach means you can engage with our NPQs around your busy timetable, with minimal time needed out of school. On average just one hour per week to engage in our NPQLPM.

No large project
Plus, on our NPQs there’s no large project at the end. Instead, you’ll sit an ‘open book’ assessment with support via two on-demand webinars and a dedicated, live assessment preparation clinic to help you get the most from your NPQ.

Benefits for you

Excel as a teacher
Delve deeper into the nuts and bolts of what makes an effective primary maths teacher, what good maths teaching looks like, and how you can lead others so they can learn from you.

Develop a positive maths culture
Learn how to create a positive attitude to maths in your primary school. You’ll learn how to develop systems that help your pupils overcome any maths anxiety and build their resilience to solving maths problems.

Design an effective maths curriculum
As a leader of maths, you’ll learn how to implement and lead an effective maths curriculum. You’ll be able to identify the maths knowledge that pupils need, identify gaps in their understanding and make changes to improve outcomes.

Build on your existing mastery expertise
This new NPQ will support you to embed mastery approaches to teaching maths in your school. You’ll also benefit from the design expertise of AC+ who have been working with primary schools for over a decade to develop effective approaches to teaching and leadership.

Invest in your future
Ongoing professional development helps you to grow and thrive as a primary maths leader. You will follow an evidence-informed framework and gain a professional accreditation at the end of the programme.

Learn to your pace
This programme is designed to fit around your busy teaching role. Much of the work can be completed in short bursts around your existing schedule.

Connect with your peers
You will train alongside other primary maths teachers from similar school contexts. You can share your experiences and build a strong support network.

Benefits for your school

Improve maths teaching
Your maths leaders will learn techniques to improve the teaching of maths across your school. This includes creating an effective school-wide teaching strategy through the careful sequencing of lessons as well as supporting teachers to understand and use evidence-informed approaches to maths teaching.

Create a ‘golden thread’
The new NPQs are all aligned. So, no matter what career stage your teachers are at, by joining this programme, they will benefit from an evidence-based framework. They will also share a common language with other NPQ participants that they can pass on to colleagues.

Access the latest learning
Teachers will bring evidence-based teaching and learning into classrooms, meaning high quality teaching and improved pupil outcomes.

Identify future leaders
Competent and confident teachers who excel in their roles will be more likely to apply for middle or senior positions in your school when they arise.

Retain your teaching talent
By allowing teachers to develop and nurture their talents in specialist areas such as maths, you are investing in their future. This will boost their confidence, making them feel supported and less likely to apply for jobs elsewhere.

Tap into a network
Your teachers will train alongside peers from other schools with similar contexts, supported by facilitators who fully understand your needs.

The programme follows the Department for Education’s National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leading Primary Maths framework.

On this programme, you will learn how to:

  • Understand what good primary maths teaching practice is and how to implement it.
  • Embed mastery approaches to teaching maths in your school.
  • Lead your school to teach maths effectively, working collaboratively with senior leaders and teachers.
  • Develop your ability and capacity to improve the provision of maths across your school.
  • Equip staff to plan effective primary maths lessons and stimulate your pupils’ thinking.
  • Help colleagues to adapt their maths teaching to meet different needs.
  • Align your professional development with wider school improvement priorities.

Note: programme content is subject to change.

How you will learn

The NPQLPM is designed so you can engage in live, facilitated sessions alongside modules you can complete at any time.

Over 12 months, our NPQLPM includes:

  • One full day conference.
  • Six courses (each course lasts about six weeks and loosely aligns with a school half term).
  • Each course includes six modules.
  • Five two-hour clinics (facilitated sessions).
  • One two-hour assessment clinic.
  • Three communities (1 hour 15 minute group sessions).

The content is delivered through blended learning. This includes a mix of real-time, interactive online sessions and self-guided modules you complete in your own time.

The programme includes facilitator-led sessions with your peer group that focus on decision making. The programme starts with a one-day live conference.

Note: programme content is subject to change.

The assessment window starts at the end of the 12-month programme and runs for three months. During this time, participants will be given an eight-day window to sit an ‘open book’ style assessment in which they respond to a short case study.

You have two submission attempts.  If you fail on the first submission, you will have one further opportunity to resit the assessment.  You will submit the assessment at the next available assessment window.

You need to complete 90% of the programme and pass the assessment to gain the qualification.

Webinars and live clinics are offered in advance of the assessment window to support participants.

Scholarship Funding for Autumn 2026

Scholarship funding is available for those teachers and leaders who work in the most challenging schools or educational settings, serving more disadvantaged communities.

DfE-funded scholarships are available for this NPQ for all those who meet the following criteria:

  • Teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading primary mathematics teaching across a school, key stage or phase.
  • Be familiar with mastery approaches to teaching maths or be a subject leader in a primary school which is already engaged in the Teaching for Mastery programme or a similar programme.
  • Schools in the targeted RISE programme are eligible for scholarship funding for all NPQs.

If you do not work in an eligible school, or are unable to access a funded place, the NPQ in Leading Primary Mathematics costs £899 plus VAT.

Apply

To apply, you must be a teacher who has, or is aspiring to have, responsibilities for primary leading teaching in mathematics, numeracy, curriculum, teaching and learning, phase or a primary classroom teacher aspiring to lead.

NPQLPM participants are expected to have completed a minimum of 1 Year of the DfE’s Teaching for Mastery programme, delivered by the national network of Maths Hubs and co-ordinated by NCETM, or have secure mastery expertise from another equivalent programme.

Accreditation NPQLPM
Course length 12 months
Registration deadline TBC
Programme start November 2026