Community Event 2026 | Leading the Change: Mathematics Education for the New Curriculum

Lynne McClure is one of the most influential figures in UK and international mathematics education. She is Chair of the Education Workstream of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, and was Head of Mathematics Solutions within the Cambridge Partnership for Education, having previously led the Cambridge Maths Project, NRICH and Underground Maths. She has travelled widely and internationally, engaging with teachers, resource designers and policy makers, and her experience spans primary, secondary and post-16 phases and initial teacher education. In the UK, she chairs the mathematics curriculum drafting group for the DfE and the trustees of MathsWorldUK. She is a trustee of Academy for the Mathematical Sciences and National Numeracy and chairs the governing body of the Cambridge Maths School. She was a member of the board of the Royal Society’s Maths Futures project and sits on ACME as well as several other advisory boards.

Helen Bowen is the Director of Mathematics for the Excelsior Multi Academy Trust in Birmingham, supporting its 8 primaries to achieve excellence in maths teaching and learning. She supports all MAT schools with the Maths — No Problem! approach to the curriculum. Helen has been in primary education for more than 14 years, in both large and small settings, as a class teacher, lead practitioner, assistant headteacher and headteacher. Helen became a Primary Mastery Specialist and Local Leader in Maths Education with the GLOW Maths Hub in 2017 and also Central Maths Hub in 2025. Since 2017, in addition to Excelsior's settings, she has supported over 70 schools in Birmingham, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire in Teaching for Mastery approaches.

Suzi Telford is KS2 Maths Lead at Belleville Primary School and Equity Lead (Oracy) for South West London Maths Hub. She specialises in using structured classroom talk to strengthen mathematical reasoning, participation, and collaborative problem-solving. Across her roles as KS2 Maths Lead, Year Leader and Senior Mental Health Lead, she has developed consistent approaches to teaching, strengthened pupil participation, and contributed to improved outcomes across multiple classes, year groups and phases. Suzi’s MSc (Distinction) from the University of Oxford explored how structured talk improves pupils’ reasoning and written problem-solving in mathematics. She has lived and worked internationally in the Netherlands, Russia (Sakhalin Island), Japan and Qatar.

Craig Parkinson is a trainer, consultant, and strengths-based coach with more than 20 years’ experience in education. After spending eight years as a Physics and Maths teacher, he moved into educational consultancy and has since worked with almost 12,000 teachers and school leaders across the UK and internationally, including in Mexico, the Netherlands, the UAE, Romania, Saudi Arabia, and Bermuda. As an accredited Maths — No Problem! trainer, Visible Learning consultant, and Gallup Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, Craig helps educators and leaders translate evidence-informed research into meaningful changes in practice. He is known for making complex ideas accessible, challenging assumptions with warmth and humour, and helping individuals and teams turn insight into impact.

Dr Josh Smalley is a passionate science communicator, presenter and baker, with a doctorate in chemical biology. He was a finalist of the 2023 series The Great British Bake Off, where he was renowned for his impressive showstopper bakes and steadfast attention to detail. In 2024, Josh founded the Science Kitchen at the University of Leicester, where he brings together the worlds of science and baking to deliver lectures, demonstrations and videos to enthuse the public and inspire the next generation of scientists. As a science communicator, Josh has developed shows to present at venues including the Royal Institution, Cheltenham & Edinburgh Science Festivals and at New Scientist Live. He has hosted ‘Science of Baking’ webinars with the likes of the Royal Society of Chemistry, written for the New Scientist, co-authored 3 food science books with Dorling Kindersley and frequently delivers talks at schools and universities.