Spotlight on LLMEs - The School Development Lead Programme

Local leaders of mathematics education (LLMEs) are the experienced teachers who lead Maths Hubs professional development at a local level. They are experts in maths teaching and professional development, bringing together a knowledge of their local context with an understanding of the national picture of maths teaching.

Any great teacher with a passion for developing others has the potential to become an LLME, and recruitment for new LLMEs is now open (see our news item for more information; the application window closes on 23 April 2026).

In our ‘Spotlights’ series, we speak to LLMEs across the country, in all phases, to learn more.

Caroline Small is a primary maths lead in a small, rural, mixed-age school in the West Midlands. Her school is part of a four-school multi-academy trust and operates across two village sites. Alongside her school role, she is a local leader of mathematics education (LLME) with Origin Maths Hub and is currently part-way through the School Development Lead Programme.

How did you first get involved with Origin Maths Hub?

I first engaged with the Maths Hub after attending a maths course through another provider. An LLME from Origin did a short introduction about the hub, and I remember thinking that it sounded like something I’d be really interested in.

I spoke to him afterwards and, long story short, I ended up becoming an LLME myself. I had already completed a Maths Specialist Teacher (MaST) Programme through a local university, so began working with Origin as a Cohort Lead for the Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics (SKTM) Programme for Early Career Teachers.

From there, my involvement with the Maths Hub grew. I completed the NCETM PD Lead Programme and now I’m part-way through the School Development Lead Programme.

Getting involved with the hub opened up a whole support network. It’s made me realise how much high-quality professional development is available and how much support there is for schools.

As I work at a very small, split-site school, release time is always carefully planned. We don’t have spare capacity in the way a larger school might, and often the only person who can cover me is the headteacher. The reason I have been able to work with the Maths Hub is because my headteacher and MAT have really valued the professional development and made it a priority.

What made you decide to take on the School Development Lead Programme?

Completing the PD Lead Programme was probably the biggest stepping stone. I really enjoyed delving into the research behind how professional development for teachers is designed. It made me realise that sessions are not just courses. There’s thought behind how they are put together, how engagement is built and how leaders can have an impact on other leaders.

When I was leading the ECT SKTM Programme, we often talked about those teachers being the ‘catalyst for change’. That is powerful, but I started to ask myself what could improve the school as a whole. We encourage participants to go back and make changes, but is there something else we can do that influences the whole school directly?

When I read about the School Development Lead Programme, I felt that was where it fitted. It felt like the right step to move beyond helping individuals and think more broadly about systems and leadership.

At the same time, I became maths lead across our trust. That was a total coincidence, but the new role aligned really well with the work I was doing on the School Development Lead Programme.

How is the School Development Lead Programme different from the PD Lead Programme?

With the PD Lead Programme, I was helping individuals or helping a school build a professional development programme to address a particular issue in maths. It was about designing and delivering high-quality professional development.

With the School Development Lead Programme, I’ve learned that I’m not there to fix or solve a problem. I’m there to help leaders work out what really needs attention in their school, and to think through practical, evidence-informed ways of tackling it. It’s about giving them the confidence and structure to lead improvement well, rather than telling them what to do.

Through Origin, we have a buddy system where LLME colleagues visit each other’s schools. When I went into another LLME’s school, I did not go in as an expert with solutions. It was about asking questions: have you considered this? How are you going to approach that? What evidence is informing this decision?

That experience really brought the School Development Lead Programme role to life for me.

What impact has your Maths Hub involvement had on your own school?

The biggest starting point for us was the Mastering Number Programme. Being involved with the hub meant I was aware of it early and understood the impact it could have. The focus on early number sense and fluency has been massive for us.

We also engaged with the Teaching for Mastery Programme. I had previously completed the PD Lead Programme which introduced me to the principles of teaching for mastery. I had already begun shaping our curriculum around that learning.

But when we joined the Teaching for Mastery Programme through the hub, it became more structured. We had more support, stronger resourcing and more precise guidance. It meant I could be clearer and more specific with staff. It was not just me saying, this is what I think we should do. It was a coherent programme with external support.

I genuinely feel that without being part of the Maths Hub, we might have carried on with good intentions but without that level of focus and refinement that has enabled us to really improve maths teaching.

Why would you recommend the School Development Lead Programme to other maths leaders?

For me, it was about wanting to go a little bit broader.

There were things in our own school that we had needed support with, and the Maths Hub was brilliant for that. I’d been so inspired by what I’d learned as an LLME, particularly around teaching for mastery and professional development, that I started to think about how we could spread this good pedagogy. It made me wonder how we could share it out a bit more.

The School Development Lead Programme felt like the right next step because it moves you beyond your own school. It helps you think about systems, about leadership, and about how decisions are made. It’s about working with other leaders, so they feel secure in the choices they’re making and confident about their direction of travel.

Maths Hubs are doing brilliant things, and we need more schools to get involved!