1. Chris Gallagher Teaching for Mastery lead
We have heard a lot about the B ideas – but the TRGs or work groups have a pivotal role to play
Chris Gallagher Teaching for Mastery lead
TRGs
What are they and how they work.

2. “Collaboration among Chinese teachers during TRG activities is an expected and normal part of Chinese teaching practice. It is not driven by some `outsider` research project, not following some passing fad, and not based on whimsical teacher interest or passion. Once he or she becomes a teacher he or she will be involved in a subject specific TRG…the collaboration in TRG activities is the sustained professional development aspect integrated into school like for all Chinese teachers.”
How Chinese Teach Mathematics and Improve Teaching edited by Yeping Li, Rongjin Huang

3. What is a TRG?
 high-quality, sustained, collaborative professional development
pre-lesson discussion; lesson observation, and post-lesson discussion and will last a half-day.
a high degree of respect and trust  - the discussion can became deep, insightful and
Explain how a trg functions and how Shanghai use them – deeply embedded for decades

4. What it’s not! A lesson observation
Lesson obs = one way feedback (mostly)
Usually very polite – “I liked it when……”
The focus is on something that was “noticed”.  
Not an attempt to analyse everything that happened in the lesson, but a focussed discussion on something that was interesting
Explain the “I noticed….”
Mastery is not a magic wand or a top down approach

5. What’s good about them?
Commenting on something without evaluating it can be tricky.
You sometimes feel like you aren’t really making a point.  But actually just clarifying what happened at a particular point can then open into useful conjectures as to why that happened.  
Different insights from different people in the room can become really powerful and is the essence of a fruitful TRG discussion.
 close collaboration of a team of professionals seeking to improve their practice.

6. Issues
Developing teaching for mastery within their own school and support six or seven other schools.
Helping other teachers and schools develop requires different knowledge and skill

7. Timetable

8. Allocation of days

9. Expectations

10. Benefits
High quality support for teacher professional development for the lead teachers, facilitated by the Mastery Specialists
Support for the head teacher in addressing leadership issues related to teaching for mastery from the Mastery Specialist and the Maths Hub leadership
Opportunity to work closely with other schools also developing teaching for mastery
No charge for participation and a grant of £1000 to help subsidise teacher release time
Up to £2000 matched funding to support the school in buying text books from the DfE’s recommended list

11. Some comments
‘ I have found participation in a TRG to be an incredibly positive and enriching experience. It has really helped get to the heart of what works in terms of children's mathematical learning and development.’ Vicky Morris, St Nicholas and St Laurence CE Primary School, Weymouth
‘Planning and chairing the TRGs has been really powerful CPD. The five schools in my group thought it would just be about their development, but the process has deepened my own understanding of mastery and has raised issues I’d not considered previously. It has made me look at my own practice through new eyes.’ Helen Hackett, Parkfield Community School/Maths Academy, Birmingham

12. ‘Having less of a focus on a ‘finished article’ the discussions in TRG meetings have been less judgemental than they might have been, which in turn has made them more open, reflective and deep.’
Katie Mallinson, Millbrook School, Grove, Oxfordshire

13. Action Plan - Key questions to consider:
Is mastery going to be developed in one year group / phase / across the school?
Will there will a whole school focus on a particular strand?
Support for teachers in developing TfM in between visits and TRGs?
What evidence of impact can be collected?

14. What might an action plan include?

15. Suggested activities to support developing TfM
Joint lesson observation / learning walk with feedback
Facilitating staff training with a specific focus
Joint lesson design sessions
Creating interest locally (building for future)
Other staff members coming to see demonstration lessons

16. Other suggested activities
Collaboratively updating policies to incorporate TfM
TfM ‘drop in’ surgeries
Helping the school to convey TfM to parents via workshops, websites, policies
Induction?

17. Any questions