Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Multiply maths initiative.

Multiply is the government’s UK wide programme for improving adult numeracy. Multiply provision spans from supporting to build confidence with numbers through to full maths qualifications.

The department provides funding to all local areas in England to deliver adult maths programmes with a focus on improving the functional numeracy of adults, breaking down barriers to participation in adult basic skills, and improving labour market outcomes. The following information therefore relates to the Multiply programme in England.

Local areas have welcomed the programme and the flexibility to deliver innovative approaches to drive learner demand. As of April 2024, over 120,000 learners have participated in a Multiply course in England. There was a 5.8% increase in adult participation in education and training in 2022/23 and an increase of 4.6% in 2023/24. Local areas have informed us that most of this rise is driven by Multiply courses.

The extensive Multiply programme evaluation is ongoing and will conclude in winter 2025/26.