Research School Network: Guiding Maths – a long term Maths improvement programme

Primary and secondary schools in Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester have begun a long-term Maths improvement programme based on the EEF’s Guidance Report – Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3.

The project is funded through a joint SSIF bid from both boroughs and led by staff from the Aspirer Research School.

“Guiding Maths” started with a half day ​“Kick Start” meeting of Headteachers and Maths Subject Leaders / Heads of Department. This will ensure that school leaders understand and are involved from the start.

The session unpicked the report’s recommendations:

• Use assessment to build on pupils’ existing knowledge and understanding
• Use manipulatives and representations
• Teach strategies for solving problems
• Enable pupils to develop a rich network of mathematical knowledge
• Develop pupils’ independence and motivation
• Use tasks and resources to challenge and support pupils’ Mathematics
• Use structured interventions to provide additional support
• Support pupils to make a successful transition between primary and secondary school

Some underlying themes were the importance of improving children’s and young people’s engagement with Maths and of providing teachers with the professional development to improve their understanding of maths pedagogy (echoing the recommendations of the Williams Report a decade ago). Understanding the common misconceptions that pupils have and how to use manipulatives, varied representations, problems and tasks to deepen pupils’ grasp of concepts will require different levels and types of support in all schools.

There was a real desire for primary and secondary schools to work together and break down the invisible walls that have kept most primary and secondary teachers from the professional discussion and collaboration based on the best available evidence that is essential, not just for transition between schools but for the development of a more positive ethos for maths in society.

School leaders went away from the session with the EEF Audit Tool to assess where their schools are against the recommendations and decide on a main and secondary focus.

Following ideas from the EEF’s, ​“Putting evidence to work – a school’s guide to implementation” the next step for the project is a Professional Development day for Maths leads and another teacher from each school to explore the report further and consider how the recommendations might be turned into action. They will share the findings from their audits, unpick the recommendations further in terms of how they might look in day to day teaching and in books and action plan next steps.

Over the next year, they will work collaboratively in groups of three, assisted by ​“Guiding Maths Teachers” to ​“explore, prepare, deliver and sustain” real, evidence informed improvement to the teaching of Maths in Key Stages Two and Three.