National Maths Cohort Study
Observatory for Mathematical Education
In 2023-24, Seymour Research worked with the newly established Observatory for Mathematical Education at the University of Nottingham to support the design and delivery of a major longitudinal study exploring pupils’ experiences of mathematics in school. The project involved following two national cohorts of pupils in Reception and Year 7 across more than 300 schools, using annual paper-based surveys at significant scale.
Seymour Research supported survey design and piloting, advised on study logistics, and led the identification and management of specialist suppliers for the printing, distribution and data capture of around 50,000 pupil surveys per year. This included assisting with the design and administration of a paper-based numeracy screener in Reception and an online survey of UCAS applicants intending to study mathematics at university. We have also assisted with pupil survey design for the second wave of surveys in 2025-26.
Our contribution was pivotal to establishing the Cohort Studies, ensuring processes were robust, scalable, future-proofed and delivered to the highest quality standards. A report on the first year of the OME’s work on mathematical education, including the Cohort Studies, has now been published here.
“Kathy’s knowledge, expertise, and ability to complete work efficiently, reliably, on time, and to a really high standard was transformational. Without her help, we would not have been able to identify and contract with the specialist suppliers necessary for the printing, scanning, and digital processing of the pupil surveys, or achieve the tight deadline of a full operational pilot study.”
