maths

Getting GCSE maths revision right!

The run up to GCSEs can be a very difficult time for Year 11 students. Often, they are still learning new material but are aware of the need to practice and consolidate earlier learning so they are ready for their examinations. This year’s Year 11 students may feel even… Read More

How to smooth the transition from Year 6 to 7 maths

It’s never easy for students to move from Year 6 to Year 7.  For the vast majority, they move from being the biggest fish in a little pond to small fry in what feels like an ocean!  Add to that the fact that their last two years of primary school… Read More

Homework to prepare for the SATs: KS2 Maths

To make sure pupils get the SATs practice they need, it makes sense to set homework that also involves parents/carers. Here are some things to consider. Set short, focused activities, following on from work in school While children need practice in tackling a mixture of problems on different topics,… Read More

The Multiplication Tables Check – what do you need to know?

The introduction of the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) means schools and teachers are looking for new ways to develop speed and recall of multiplication facts up to 12 x 12. What is expected of pupils? The incoming MTC is set to be administered online in timed conditions… Read More

Teaching for mastery: The pros and cons

Written by Jo Lees Jo has taught and led mathematics in primary and secondary settings. She is a former member of ACME and is on the MA committee for CPD. In her current post, apart from co-authoring The Shanghai Maths Project for Collins, Jo leads a large local authority… Read More

Any two will do: developing students’ modelling and problem solving skills

Here is an activity which aims to help develop students’ modelling and problem solving skills. It requires knowledge of Pythagoras’ theorem, solving simultaneous equations and all things quadratical. Solutions to activities are included in order to highlight possible class discussion points. The activity is also available to download… Read More

Questioning for Mathematical Reasoning

The 2014 National Curriculum for mathematics has three main aims- it seeks to enable pupils to develop fluency, problem solving and reasoning in mathematics. I work in a relatively large local authority, supporting teachers of mathematics to improve outcomes for pupils, amongst other things. Following the 2016 end of Key… Read More

Explaining a mastery approach to parents/carers

Every new generation of parents must scratch their heads when their children show them their maths homework, with methods of teaching and learning mathematics going through more changes than any other subject. Over the past fifty years there has been rote learning, then ‘new maths’, discovery learning, set theory and… Read More

‘@CollinsPrimary host ‘A Mastery in Maths’ special Twitter chat with Primary Rocks

On Monday 24th April 2017 at 8pm we co-hosted a Twitter edchat with Primary Rocks and @grahamandre. The discussion topic was teaching for mastery in Primary maths and these were the questions: We had a fantastic response rate and loved hearing directly from teachers about their experiences and opinions on… Read More

Cultivating Curiosity

At the end of last year I was asked to speak at The Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS) Educators Conference in Copenhagen. The theme of the conference was Cultivating Curiosity, not just from the viewpoint of inquiry as a catalyst for learning, but also in trying to… Read More