The DfE has announced extra funding for schools and colleges – the HVCP. It has also published data on the first allocation of the AMP. Don’t miss out on these opportunities.
High Value Course Premium (HVCP)
At the start of November the DfE announced the High Value Courses Premium (HVCP). This is additional funding to encourage and support the teaching of selected level 3 courses in subjects that research indicates lead to higher salaries. The aim is to increase participation in these, mainly STEM, subjects. This is part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, providing an additional £400 million of funding for 16-19 education, to enable a more productive economy.
A level Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Statistics are all included in the HVCP list of qualifications that attract the premium, alongside other science A levels and some level 3 vocational qualifications with 360 or more Guided Learning Hours, (GLH). Core Maths, with only 180 GLH, is not on the list, however it does count towards the Advanced Maths Premium.
Students enrolled on at least 2 of the selected A levels will attract the premium, which is £400 per student per year the student is on their study programme. This is in addition to any Advanced Maths Premium funding that the school/college may be eligible for. The HVCP allocation for 2020-21 will be calculated based on eligible students in academic year 2018-19. Further details of how the HVCP is calculated and paid is on the DfE website.
Advanced Maths Premium (AMP)
Data on the first allocation of the Advanced Maths Premium (AMP) was published by the DfE in October. In total just over £10 million of additional funding was allocated to schools and colleges for 2019-20. The AMP is £600 per year per additional student studying level 3 maths qualifications, which includes Core Maths, AS and A level Mathematics and AS and A level Further Mathematics, above a baseline figure (the average number of students studying an eligible level 3 maths qualification in academic years 2015-16 and 2016-17).
AS Mathematics and AS Further Mathematics are valuable qualifications in their own right. They contribute to the AMP even if students do not go on to take the full A level. This means students taking AS Mathematics alongside 3 other A levels, or AS Further Mathematics alongside A level Mathematics and 2 other A levels, can contribute to their school/college receiving additional funding through the AMP.
Over 800 providers have benefitted from the AMP in the first year, with additional funding ranging from £600 to over £200,000. Several large sixth form and FE colleges have received over £100,000 as a result of increased numbers of students enrolled on level 3 maths courses.
The AMP offers schools and colleges the opportunity to grow their provision and increase numbers participating in level 3 maths. Alongside increasing participation in AS and A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics, one way to for schools and colleges to take advantage of the AMP is to grow their Core Maths provision. All schools and colleges offering level 3 qualifications should offer Core Maths, and the AMP can help them to do this.
In 2018 the average number of Core Maths entries per institution offering courses was 15. An increase in level 3 maths participation of 15 students would be worth £9,000 in additional funding through the AMP, which would be enough to pay for the staffing to teach this course.
The Advanced Maths Support Programme offers schools and colleges support in how to set up courses, promotion materials to use with students, professional development to enhance subject knowledge and pedagogy and resources to support teaching of Core Maths.
Further information about funding for level 3 maths qualifications, including the Large Programme Uplift, is available on the AMSP Funding page.