Become a maths teacher
If maths is your passion, you'll know that it's not just learning formulas or solving equations. It's a way of thinking and problem solving that’s important in every walk of life.
As a secondary maths teacher, an exciting career spent passing your knowledge on to the next generation could be for you.
Tax-free bursaries of £29,000 or scholarships of £31,000 are available for eligible trainee maths teachers.
Why teach maths
Maths is critical to science, technology and engineering as well as being fundamental for most jobs.
A good understanding of maths can help children develop life skills such as cooking, managing a budget and problem solving.
In addition to the personal rewards of teaching maths, there are practical benefits too, including:
- a competitive salary starting at £31k (or higher in London)
- a secure pension
- more holiday days than people in many other professions
- opportunities for progression
I enjoy showing my pupils that maths is essential in everyday life. Whether it is identifying patterns, interpreting data, managing finances, or understanding the spaces and structures around us, everything uses maths.
Shape your pupils' futures
Teaching maths opens the door for your pupils to pursue exciting careers. They could work in a diverse range of fields, from statistics and accountancy, to data science and programming.
By solving challenging problems, your pupils could make significant contributions to these impactful areas.
Your pupils will learn more from you than you might think. As their teacher, you’ll guide your pupils though the skills they need to show their understanding of maths. You'll teach them valuable life skills such as critical thinking, decision making and problem solving.
I try to find out what they're interested in, whether it's card games, football or whatever, and use this to make maths relevant.
What you'll teach
You'll teach the national curriculum for maths.
Themes you'll cover when you teach 11 to 16 year olds (key stage 3 and 4) include:
- numbers
- algebra
- ratio, proportion and rates of change
- geometry and measures
- probability and statistics
When you're teaching key stages 3 and 4 you can use interactive games with conkers and dice to help your pupils understand algebra and probability.
Explore what teaching a key stage 3 maths lesson would be like at the Oak National Academy website.
Themes you'll cover when you teach 16 to 18 year olds (key stage 5) include:
- analysis of data
- maths for personal finance
- estimation
- critical analysis of given data and models
Teaching pupils at different ages and abilities means you'll always be expanding your knowledge and approach to meet pupils' needs. Once you have qualified teacher status (QTS) you can also teach any other subject, as long as you can show you have enough expertise.
Start your journey into teaching maths
Check your qualifications
To train to teach maths in England, you'll need:
- GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths (and science if you want to teach primary)
- a bachelor's degree in any subject
Having relevant A levels can show your subject knowledge, if you do not have a degree in maths.
Maths teacher training courses have had successful applications from candidates with a range of degrees, including psychology, music, architecture and law.
Find out more about what qualifications you need to train to teach.
Improve your subject knowledge
If your training provider thinks you need to top up your subject knowledge in maths before you become a teacher, you can do a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course.
There are lots of reasons why someone might need to complete an SKE course. For example, if you finished your degree more than 5 years ago or if you have an A level but not a degree in the subject you want to teach.
Find out more about subject knowledge enhancement courses.
Fund your teacher training
Tax-free bursaries of £29,000 or scholarships of £31,000 are available for eligible trainee maths teachers.
You can get a bursary or scholarship alongside a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan.
Even if you've had financial support for a previous course, you could still be eligible for funding to support your teacher training.
You may also be able to get extra funding and support if you're:
- a parent or carer
- disabled
- a veteran
Find out how you can fund your teacher training.
Apply for a paid internship
If you're currently doing an undergraduate or master's degree and are interested in teaching maths, you could apply for a paid teaching internship.
The 3-week programme could help you to understand what it's really like in the classroom and get a feel for school life.
Support with teacher training
Throughout your initial teacher training, you'll have the support of a mentor.
Your mentor will:
- guide you through your training, sharing learning and career development opportunities with you
- meet with you regularly to make sure your training is a positive experience
You'll also be part of a welcoming school community where you'll learn from fellow teachers through taught sessions, seminars and workshops.
Once you've completed your initial teacher training, you'll continue to be supported during your first 2 years of teaching. Find out what support you'll get as an early career teacher.
Get free one-to-one support
An adviser with years of teaching experience can help you to become a maths teacher. Chat by phone, text, or email as little or often as you need.
Find out more about advisers