Scholarship benefits: The amazing tax-free bursary is just the start!
The financial incentives of being a Scholar are pretty fantastic, starting with a tax free bursary of £22,000 and continuing with two further payments of £5000-£7500 once you have been teaching in a state school for three and then five years. While finances are extremely important, the Scholarship Scheme is about so much more than this. By becoming a Scholar you will be unlocking a whole host of other benefits which will vastly enrich your career and experience of teaching.
CPD provided as part of the Scholarship Scheme
All Maths Scholars get invited to CPD events, exclusively for Scholars. Every event features inspirational speakers and Scholars have always commented on how useful these events are, and how enjoyable it is to meet up with the other Scholars. These CPD events cover topics which will impact your teaching and will help you gather evidence that you have met the Teachers’ Standards as you progress through your PGCE.
For each cohort there are at least two workshops and an organised visit as well as a trip to the National STEM Learning Centre. Past presenters have included a varied mix of well known maths speakers including Nira Chamberlain, Keith Still and Katie Steckles.
Sometimes it might feel like it is hard to make the time – however the more you attend through your scholarship year, the more you will get out of it. Scholars who have attended in the past have always commented on how positive and useful they have found the events.
Professional Bodies
As a Maths Scholar you gain free membership to an impressive number of Professional Bodies including:
• IMA (Institute of Mathematics and its Applications)
• MEI (Mathematics in Education and Industry)
• MA (Mathematical Association)
By being a member of these organisations you will receive a plethora of benefits such as magazines; free or discounted journals; discounted conferences and access to online resources. You will be able to stay up to date with the latest developments in mathematics teaching and also gain a deep understanding of where maths is used in the modern world. You may also be able to get letters after your name in recognition of your membership. For a detailed breakdown of the benefits you will get by being a member of these professional bodies, you should check out the Scholarship offer. The benefits fill nearly two A4 pages, showing you just how much you will get.
In particular it is worth highlighting that you will get free access to MEI’s Integral which is an amazing set of resources for teaching A-level Maths and A-level Further Maths. An individual subscription would normally cost £120 annually. You will also get free access to the IMA’s Journal Teaching Mathematics and its Applications. This is a highly respected journal which you may be able to use when you are doing research for your PGCE essays.
In a few years’ time, if you remain a member of the IMA or The MA, you may be able to apply to become a Chartered Mathematics Teacher, which is a nationally recognised standard of teaching excellence. Being a Chartered Mathematics Teacher could help your journey to becoming a Head of Department or Senior Leader in a Secondary School.
The Scholar Community
When you become a Maths Scholar you are joining an amazing community of other Scholars, all of whom have been selected because of their potential to become inspirational maths teachers. You will be able to bounce ideas off each other, not only in online forums, but also at Scholarship networking events and CPD training sessions. Being a Scholar expands your network of trainee teacher contacts from the people you know on your PGCE course to a much wider group. You may know a fantastic department of experienced teachers in your training schools, but there is something special about being able to talk to people who are in the same position as you. In particular, if you are undertaking an unsalaried School Direct course and find you are the only trainee teacher, you are likely to find this network extremely valuable.
The Prestige
Being selected as a Maths Scholar is highly prestigious and recognises your potential to be a passionate and accomplished teacher. When you apply for your first permanent teaching post you will be able to include it in your application, helping you stand out from the crowd.
Being a Scholar isn’t just for one year
Once you gain your QTS, you can continue to benefit from the Scheme in a number of ways. You will be left with an incredible network of contacts which can last well into the future, as well as being able to use everything which you learnt as a Scholar now that you are completing your NQT year. Most of the Professional Body memberships last for two years, so you can continue to benefit once you have finished your initial training. Many former Scholars comment on how their time as a Scholar is still helping their career many years down the line. If you haven’t yet applied to become a Maths Scholar, then what are you waiting for?
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