We are pleased to be collaborating with Chester University to offer a support programme for both Primary and Secondary teachers who are in their first or second year of teaching (Newly Qualified / Recently Qualified Teachers).

The programme itself will consist of 5 workshops, most of which will take place as online webinars with associated gap tasks. There will be two options – one for Primary teachers and one for Secondary teachers.

The aims of both programmes will be to broadly help new teachers to develop their professional knowledge of effective mathematics pedagogy, and consider what this actually looks like in the classroom.

This programme is now full and has already begun.

We are looking to run a project that focuses upon important issues surrounding the transition to Secondary school this year. This programme will take place as 4 workshops throughout the year and is aimed at all teachers based in upper key stage 2 (years 5 & 6) and those who teach key stage 3 classes.

Central to the Work Group is the promotion of cross phase communication between teachers to address issues of maths knowledge and learning transition as distinct from pastoral considerations.

If you are interested in joining this Work Group, please sign up here.

Many of our programmes are beginning to start this half-term and we are enjoying the new challenges that come with delivering online professional development for teachers. It is great to see how many teachers across our region are still keen to take part in professional development opportunities despite all of the Covid-19 related uncertainty that we are facing.

We believe that now more than ever, with all of the difficulties schools are facing, it is important for teachers to have access to high quality CPD that can support them in doing their job effectively; we just need to re-think how and when this can take place. All of our Work Group activity is now utilising using online webinar technology and we are trying to ensure that workshops happen at times that fit around the current daily demands on teachers time. You can see below some of our Work Groups that have begun and what types of things are going on.

 

Building Firm Mathematical Foundations in Reception

Over 20 schools are taking part in this and teachers are beginning to look at the idea of ‘Learning Trajectories’ and how we can use these to improve adult directed activity in an Early Years setting.

 

Primary Mastery Work Groups (Readiness, Developing, Embedding and Sustaining)

Our four phases of Primary Mastery programmes are all underway now (although a second Sustaining group is looking to go ahead after Christmas). Over 100 schools are taking part in these Work Groups and are looking at a wide range of topics from lesson design through to classroom strategies that help shift pupil mindset towards maths. If you are not involved in one of these Work Groups but think it might be suitable for your school next year, please do get in touch.

 

Developing Teaching for Mastery in Secondary School 

We now have 14 secondary mastery specialists working within our Maths Hub. As a collaborative group they are working together to develop and refine what teaching for mastery looks like in secondary schools and are now beginning to work with other schools in the area. This involves analysing issues such as effective representations to help pupils develop deeper understanding of key concepts and considering what this actually looks like in the classroom. If you think this is something your school would like to pursue next academic year, please do get in touch.

 

Maths Subject Leader / Head of Department Networks

We are running both Primary and Secondary maths leader networks in all of our regions and these have already started for this academic year. However, it is not too late to sign up so please do visit our ‘event’ section to find your local network and sign up for the next session.