Research School Network: Using the Maths Guidance and Implementation Guide Side By Side for Trust Wide Curriculum Development

Following the release of the EEF Implementation Guide and a detailed Trust SLT review of the EEF Mathematics guidance document (Improving Mathematics In Key Stages 2 and 3), we decided to replace our usual termly Mathematics moderation sessions with a really focused, whole trust, Curriculum Development Day for Mathematics. This was attended by Principals, Vice Principals and Mathematics Leads from the eight Trust academies and led by Mark Avis (Director of Mathematics for the Aspire Educational Trust) and myself, Jo Ashcroft (Director of Education for the Trust).

We had identified a need to really unpick the principles of good practice in Mathematics in our academies, alongside an in depth review of the eight recommendations of the EEF Mathematics Guidance Document and what they mean to us (and how widely these are disseminated across all staff). The aim of the day was: to explore the research and evidence and see what this currently looks like in our academies (the evidence of the current position in relation to the eight recommendations); identify a target position – what mathematics would look like in our academies and across our Trust once each recommendation was fully embedded; and then create an implementation plan (both at individual academy and Trust level) to provide a meaningful and manageable structure, based on the evidence about effective implementation, to move Mathematics forwards.

The day began with a whistle-stop tour of the EEF Implementation Guide (Putting Evidence To Work: A School’s Guide To Implementation), with each academy team reflecting upon the foundations for good implementation within their own academy and implications of the recommendations for their own setting. At this stage, each academy identified any additional actions they would take or support they would need in order to ensure that the foundations were good and gave the best possible chance of successful implementation. We then looked at the evidence for the four stages for effective implementation (Explore, Prepare, Deliver and Sustain) and put this into the context of Mathematics for our academies and Trust.

Following this, we collectively engaged in the ​‘Explore’ stage. Each recommendation was considered in depth, with opportunities to consolidate understanding of each recommendation, see some examples of what each might look like within lessons and within pupils’ work and then each academy spent time looking for evidence of good practice in relation to each recommendation within their own pupils’ books. This allowed each academy’s leadership team to gain real clarity about their current maths provision and where their key priorities for development lie, as well as gaining a bank of good ideas in relation to the development of each of the eight recommendations.

The final session of the day devoted considerable time to the ​‘Prepare’ stage. Each academy worked in their own leadership team to reflect upon their findings from the explore stage and look at the next steps and priorities they had identified. They then used the Implementation Guidance document to create their own implementation plan (including identifying where they would work collaboratively with other schools and where they would seek support from the Trust and expand their implementation team). Each academy team then offered feedback on where they felt collaborative working would support implementation, thereby offering a start point for the Trust implementation plan.

The engagement of the schools throughout the day was excellent, which led to a really positive outcome on the day (academy level implementation plans created based on very accurate self-evaluation, with actions grounded in evidence). The next step is now underway, as I am visiting each academy to finalise the implementation plans, broker further training and support, support expansion of the implementation teams and, in doing so, finalise the Trust implementation plan.

Jo Ashcroft

Director of Education

The Aspire Educational Trust