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Numeracy: Adult Education

Asked by Mr Andrew SnowdenConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 25 June 2026UIN 10016

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department made of the potential impact of the Multiply programme on adult numeracy participation before the programme was discontinued.

Answered by Josh MacAlister

Multiply was funded from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and ran for three years, from April 2022 to March 2025. The programme boosted existing efforts to address low levels of adult numeracy in England. Multiply delivered 288,605 enrolments across the three years of the programme, which made up 45% of all adult numeracy enrolments over this period.

It demonstrated how to engage learners who have been furthest away from numeracy education. The findings were published on 28 May, and are available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a1991a959fb7a60f827f50f/Multiply_programme_evaluation_report.pdf.

The learning on how to effectively engage learners is available to inform commissioning and provision of adult education going forward.

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