Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education
The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) is a major British organisation established in January 2002 by the Royal Society and the Joint Mathematical Council, with explicit backing from all major mathematics organisations in the UK.
ACME is supported by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Department for Education.
ACME's aim is
- "to enable an effective and constructive partnership between Government and the mathematics community. ACME aims to inform and advise the Department for Education in order to assist in its drive to raise standards and promote mathematics at all levels within education. It seeks to complement and enhance, rather than replace, consultative procedures and aims for positive progress rather than routine opposition to change."
ACME members
As at January 2014, the ACME members are: [1]
Chair
Professor Stephen Sparks FRS is the ACME Chair.
- Dame Julia Higgins FRS (2008): replaced Professor Adrian Smith FRS as ACME Chair in September 2008 when Adrian became Director General of Science and Research at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. She was succeeded by Professor R. S. J. Sparks in 2012.
Members
Robert Barbour, Independent consultant (2013)
Richard Browne, Company Secretary Mathematics in Education and Industry (2012)
Sybil Cock, Independent mathematics consultant (2011)
Dr Sue Gifford, Principal Lecturer in mathematics education, Roehampton University (2013)
Dr Niall Mackay, Reader, Department of Mathematics, University of York (2011)
Professor Andrew Noyes, School of Education, University of Nottingham (ACME Deputy Chair)(2012)
Jennie Pennant, Primary PD Lead NRICH and Director GrowLearning: releasing excellence in Leadership, Learning and Mathematics (2013)
Anne White, Senior Adviser, Improve Maths (2013)
Former members
As at December 2010, members of ACME were:
- Jack Abramsky, Independent Mathematics Consultant (2008).
Jack Abramsky is an independent mathematics consultant. Previously, he worked in the Mathematics Team at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) after a long career teaching mathematics mainly at university, sixth-form and tertiary college level. He headed the department of Mathematics at Kingston College of Further Education. He was a founder member and Executive Secretary of the National Association for Numeracy and Mathematics in Colleges and has served on the Executive Committee of the Joint Mathematical Council and on the original governmental Mathematics and Science Consultative Committee to advise the Schools Curriculum and Assessment Authority. At QCA he worked on mathematics in the national curriculum, on the development of new qualifications in mathematics, on criteria for GCSE and GCE Mathematics, on end of key stage tests, on international comparisons, and on the production of a range of guidance materials for teachers. He was seconded to work with Professor Adrian Smith on the Post-14 Mathematics Inquiry.
- Jennie Golding, Director of Specialism and Advanced Skills Teacher, Woodroffe School (2010).
Jennie is an Advanced Skills Teacher and Director of Specialism in Dorset. Her first degree and MSc are in Mathematics, and her subsequent research in Mathematics Education. She has taught learners aged 3 to 93 in schools, colleges and universities, and worked in Primary and Secondary teacher education in this country, Australia and South Africa. She has many years experience in comprehensive schools, including as Head of Department. Jennie is a member of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM), the British Society for Research into the Learning of Mathematics, the British Educational Research Association, and the Mathematical Association (MA), for whom she chaired the Teaching Committee. Her fundamental belief in mathematics education is that all young people can enjoy, and be effective learners of, the challenge and rigour that is mathematics.
- Jo-Anne Lees, County Inspector/Adviser for Mathematics for Hampshire LA, Children's Services Department (2010).
Jo Lees taught mathematics in both primary and secondary schools for 15 years. She holds a BSc in Mathematics from Southampton University and completed a Masters in Mathematics Education whilst teaching. During her teaching career, Jo was a Leading Maths Teacher with Hampshire and has presented class based research at ICME10 in Copenhagen and ICME11 in Monterrey, Mexico. In her role as a leading teacher, Jo supported mathematics teachers across Hampshire and was involved in the production of one of the Bowland case studies. She joined the Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service as County Inspector/Adviser in 2008 and is working in both primary and secondary schools to promote mathematics education, support teachers and improve mathematical outcomes for children and young people. She leads a large team of mathematics inspector/advisers and consultants working across both the primary and secondary phases.
- Lynne McClure, NRich Project Director, Cambridge University (2009).
Lynne works with and for teachers and their students. She has taught mathematics and/or mathematics education in primary and secondary schools, and in further and higher education institutions. Lynne previously lived in Scotland, combining course leadership at Edinburgh University with consulting to government departments, universities, local education authorities and numerous schools both here and abroad. She sits on the councils of both the Mathematical Association (MA) and the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM) and edits the Primary Mathematics journal for the MA. Her research interest is in devising an appropriate curriculum for able young mathematicians and she has published several articles and books on the subject. Lynne took up post as Director of the NRICH project in March 2010 (http:// nrich.maths.org)
- Roger Porkess, Chief Executive of Mathematics in Education and Industry (2008).
Roger Porkess is Chief Executive of Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), an independent curriculum development body. He worked as a secondary school teacher for some 25 years, mostly in the UK but also in third world countries. In 1990 Roger left teaching to work for MEI; he had recently chaired the committee which had developed the first modular A Level in any subject, and then took on the responsibility for its implementation. Since then Roger has established several innovative programmes. His expertise covers all aspects of secondary mathematics; he is an experienced author, both of textbooks and articles, particularly on curriculum issues, and has been deeply involved in examining for many years.
- Alice Rogers, Professor of Mathematics, King's College London, University of London (2007) .
Alice Rogers is a mathematical physicist whose research concerns applications of differential geometry in fundamental physics. She has taught at all levels within Higher Education as well as in 11-18 comprehensive and grammar schools. Alice is currently a Vice President of the London Mathematical Society; she chairs the steering committee of the Mathematics Promotion Unit of the society, and is a member of its Education Committee. From 2001 to 2004 Alice was Head of the Department of Mathematics at King's College London. She was for some years the department's Senior Tutor, particularly concerned with the adjustment of first year undergraduates to mathematics at university. She currently chairs the departmental committee with responsibility for syllabus and programme development, and has many years of involvement in this area.
- Professor Anne Watson, Professor of Mathematics Education, Oxford University (2010).
Anne is Professor of Mathematics Education at Oxford University, having joined as Lecturer in Educational Studies (Mathematics) and a Fellow of Linacre College in 1996. Anne's first degree and MSc are in Pure Mathematics, and her DPhil and subsequent research are in Mathematics Education. Anne taught mathematics for several years in two comprehensive schools - Stantonbury Campus and Peers School, Oxford (where she was Head of Mathematics) before joining the University of Oxford. Anne is a member of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM), the British Society for Research into the Learning of Mathematics, the British Educational Research Association, the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, the International Society for Design and Development in Education, and the Higher Education Academy.