Paul Glaister: Summary of background, interests and activities.

1. My actual ‘day’ job is as a Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Reading.

2. I was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in The King’s New Year Honours List 2023 for services to Education. (See also The Gazette Official Public Record, University of Reading news story, IMA news story, Mathematical Association news story and the article “Where are they now?” in The Old Burian.)

3. Further details of my University of Reading activities and duties can be found in my:

a. Bio

b. CV

c. publications – there are 472 in total - on mathematics research, mathematics education, teaching and learning

d. website

e.     background interests, and activities

3. I have taught many undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and continue to do so, as well as undertake undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral supervision, tutorials; internal and external quality assurance; many roles within Reading over 43 years, including Head of Department for 5 years, plus every other role within the Department! I have also developed many outreach resources, have 472 publications, and have given many talks and workshops. 

4. I am the IMA representative on JMC, and now also co-opted to JMC as the UK representative to the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI), which is part of the International Mathematical Union (IMU). The LMS is the ‘Adhering Organisation’ (on behalf of Learned Societies and Subject Association/Professional Bodies) to the IMU, and I was appointed to the latter role by the LMS – see UoR news story for further details. The LMS is closely associated with Protect Pure Maths (PPM) which has now been rebranded the Campaign for Mathematical Sciences (CaMS). CaMS were responsible for the Maths Summit which I attended, and at which the Maths Manifesto which I contributed to, and available from the AcadMathSci pages. See some items relating to my involvement on the UoR site.

5. I am also a member of the LMS Education Committee, and a member of the LMS International Affairs Committee which comprises representatives from all CMS societies. I am also the LMS representative on the DfE Expert Stakeholder Group for the Government’s £560M Multiply Project.

6. Member of the Advisory Board of the Academy for Mathematical Sciences.

7. Member of the Advisory Board and of the Steering Group of the Campaign for Mathematical Sciences (CaMS)

8. I was the previous Chair of JMC (UK) from 2015-18.

9. I will become the President-Elect of the Mathematical Association in 2024 and its President in 2025 (see also).

10. My other roles at the IMA are captured here: Paul Glaister - IMA. This includes membership and vice-chair of the Schools and FE Committee, Council, Executive Board, Professional Affairs Committee, EDI Committee, Grants Committee. I am also Honorary Secretary with responsibility for Membership which includes (as Chair of all relevant committees and sub-groups) ultimate responsibility and decisions on membership applications, including Advanced Membership – MIMA and FIMA (Fellow) grades, Chartership (through the Royal Charter held by the IMA) for Chartered Mathematician (CMath), Chartered Scientist (CSci), Chartered Mathematics Teacher (CMathTeach).

I am the IMA representative on the Governance Board and Professional Accreditation Standards Committee and led the Data Science degree accreditation work of the Alliance for Data Science Professionals (AfDSP). On that page you will see the background to this initiative including the MoU. I have captured some of this in: https://www.personal.reading.ac.uk/~smsglais/Alliance_for_Data_Science_Professionals_19_04_2023.pdf. There you will see reference to the two quotes from Sir Adrian Smith and Sir Ian Diamond, both of which I personally secured through direct contact with them.

I am responsible for the AfDSP’s Advanced Data Science Professional Certification (AdvDSP) at the IMA, including Chair of the Panels of Assessors. The Alliance are also in the process of introducing programme accreditation for Data Science degrees (which we are committed to), and I Chair the Data Science Degree Accreditation Group for the AfDSP.

             See also my quote on the Alliance’s success on being in the Final of the British Data Awards.

I also carry out many External Programme Reviews for the IMA’s degree accreditation programme.

Additionally, I also carry out many External Periodic Programme Review in universities, including accreditation panels for degree accreditation, and other Periodic Reviews for Higher Education Programmes.

I have been an External Examiner at many universities, and I am currently an external examiner at St Andrews, LSE, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Cardiff Universities for Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes.

11. Within the Royal Society I am a member of the:

a. Committee of Chairs of RS ACME

b. RS ACME as Chair of the Expert Panel for A levels (see also)

c. A level Expert Panel (formerly DfE/Russell Group A level Contact Advisory Board – ALCAB, of which I was a member) – Deputy Chair where I lead on all work on behalf of RS and RS ACME on A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics matters

d. RS Mathematical Futures Programme International Stakeholder Group

e. Sub-Group on Statistics and Large Data Sets Assessment - Co-Chair

f. Monitoring Qualification Reforms Committee

g. Working Group on Joint RS/British Academy Statement on Core Maths

h. Joint RS/Learned Societies Mathematical Futures and RS ACME Funders Group

12. I am a member of four DfE/NCETM/Maths Hub Strategic Boards, and Chair one of these. I am also a member of the Maths Hubs Strategic Board Chairs Forum and the Maths Hubs Strategic Board Chairs Working Group.

13. I am external expert assessor for the Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education.

14. I am member of a number of other groups - further details are given in my biography, including the Maths4Girls National Steering Committee (part of Founders4Schools). I am also a STEM Ambassador.

15. I have worked extensively in Post 16 Mathematics Education since 2014.

On the A level Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Core Maths fronts I believe have been more involved nationally, and continue to be, than anyone on the design, accreditation, development, implementation, subsequent monitoring and review of the associated 21 qualifications. Activity across Royal Society, RS ACME, Ofqual, DfE, Learned Societies alone comprises unparalleled activity in these areas.

I have captured some my AL involvement here and Paul_Glaister_AL_Mathematics_and_Further_Mathematics_activity.pdf (reading.ac.uk).

Core Maths has also occupied a significant amount of my time over the last 10 years. Some of this is captured here: Core Maths — Paul Glaister.

There is far too much to list here on Core Maths. Highlights include:

The recent funding announcement on Core Maths which I believe I had some influence over the last 10 years in achieving this outcome. See the UoR story.

Many articles on Core Maths (within this list); a couple of DfE press releases  https://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-voices/advanced-maths-premium-can-open-more-doors-for-young-people/and https://www.fenews.co.uk/skills/16-million-drive-to-boost-maths-skills-for-post-brexit-britain-sector-response/ (alongside Liz Truss and Nick Gibb), many conferences talks and presentations and workshops. See the Royal Society article linked from the RS page.

Chair of the DfE Expert Panel on the Core Maths Technical Guidance reporting to Nick Gibb as Minister as to which qualifications meet these requirements and can receive funding recognition for progression, performance and participation measures, including the Advanced Maths Premium.

Working extensively with DfE on Adrian Smith’s Post 16 maths review – both before, during and since, and with Adrian himself. I would like to think that I had some influence in ensuring that Adrian’s first recommendation (of 18 in total) was:

“Recommendation 1: The Department for Education should seek to ensure that schools and colleges are able to offer all students on academic routes and potentially students on other level 3 programmes access to a core maths qualification.”

Further details on the skills developed through studying Core Maths qualifications can be found in the briefing paper I wrote for the DfE and BIS (now BEIS) to accompany a Ministerial Communication that was sent to all university vice-chancellors, along with an offer from DfE/BIS for me brief senior staff on Core Maths, which resulted in over 50 such visits. I was told by Sir David Bell (former Perm Sec at the DfE and Chief HMI) that it was unprecedented for an academic to have a briefing paper accompany a Ministerial Communication, let alone one from two Ministers! After my briefing ‘tour’ (and in some cases after much further dialogue and meetings with vice-chancellors and other senior university representatives) I secured many statements of support for Core Maths across a wide range of universities. The latter were referred to on page 43 of the Smith Review Report:

The Russell Group’s ‘Informed Choices’ – the Russell Group of 24 leading UK universities’ guide to making decisions about post-16 education – has publically endorsed the development; additionally, at the time of drafting this report, a total of 43 universities had shown their individual support for core maths, including 20 Russell Group universities and 23 others.

as well as on page 105 in the White Paper, namely:

‘These [Core Maths qualifications] have been endorsed by a large number of universities, including many in the Russell Group.’

I have worked with the Royal Society for some time supporting Core Maths, particularly on the statement, advising the four recommendations, and was asked to write the article to accompany that statement.

Some further details of my Post 16 activities can be found here: Post_16_school_college_and_HEI_stakeholder_activity_Paul_Glaister.pdf (reading.ac.uk)

16. I work or have worked with over 50 officials in the DfE across a range of areas, including:

Mathematics Support Programmes; Advanced Maths Premium; Post 16 mathematics signalling and stakeholder engagement; National Skills Fund/Lifetime Skills Guarantee for Level 3; A levels in Mathematics and Further Mathematics; GCSE and iGCSE qualifications; Teacher recruitment and retention; T levels; Core Maths; Post 16 basic maths and Centres for Excellence in Maths; Expert Sector Advisory Group for the Multiply programme;

Joint DfE/Ofqual Strategic Relationships Stakeholder Group on Qualifications; National Expert Advisory Panel on participation in Post 16 Mathematics; Expert Advisory Panel on Mathematics Support Programmes; Professional and Technical Education (T levels) HE Stakeholder Group; External Expert Evaluation and Review Team on Centres for Excellence in Maths; Expert Stakeholder Group Levelling Up Education White Paper; Stakeholder Group on Understanding Exam disruption and Qualifications - research Knowledge and Engagement; Joint DfE/RS Expert group on mathematics in T levels, A levels and Core Maths; DfE Stakeholder Group on Teacher Subject Specialism Training (TSST); Chair of DfE/JMC Expert Review Panel for TSST; Standards and Testing Agency (STA).

17. Ofqual (further details here: Paul_Glaister_AL_Mathematics_and_Further_Mathematics_activity.pdf (reading.ac.uk)):

a. Subject External Expert

b. External Expert Advisor A levels - Conditions, Requirements, Guidance

c. Overarching reviewer for the Accreditation of 16 AS & AL Mathematics and Further Mathematics qualifications

d. External Expert Reviewer on A level Mathematics series

e. External Expert Panel for Digitalisation of A level Assessments

f. External Expert Panel Reviewing Core Maths Specifications and Assessments

g. Ofqual External HE Review Panel on the Qualitative Review of candidates work for grade boundaries

h. Chair, External Expert Assessor Panel on Performance Standards AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics

i. HE Stakeholder Group

j. Subject Association and Learned Society Stakeholder Group

k. DfE External Expert Advisor to Ofqual on the future of Digitalisation in Assessment for A level Examinations

l. DfE/Ofqual External Expert Reviewer for Core Maths Qualifications

18. Qualification Wales:

a. Expert Advisory Panel, Qualification Wales, on New Curriculum and Qualifications for Wales: Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE) Reforms in Mathematics and Numeracy

b. Expert Review Panel, Qualification Wales, on A level Standards in Wales and England

19. Department of Education (NI):

a. Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment Advisory Board for A levels and GCSE

b. GCSE/Functional Skills Group

20. National Awarding Organisations:

a. Oxford and Cambridge (OCR) Mathematics Consultative Forum

b. Cambridge Assessment External Expert Reviewer