1. Bucks, Berks and Oxon Maths Hub Launch
Charlie Stripp
Director, NCETM

2. There are huge changes taking place in maths education

3. New National Curriculum: ambitious
New Maths GCSEs: more demanding
New post-16 Core Maths qualifications
Maths to age 18 for those who do not achieve GCSE by age 16
New A levels from 2016

4. Direction of policy
There is a wide consensus, supported by OECD evidence, that a population that is able to use mathematics effectively brings significant economic benefit to the country, hence the current political interest in maths education

5. Direction of policy Policies aim to:
Improve educational achievement in mathematics
Increase participation in learning mathematics post-16
Increase public understanding of the benefits of learning mathematics
Develop school-led professional development of teachers

6. Maths Hubs Idea initiated by the NCETM
Regional hubs to provide specialist, school-led support to improve maths education
Coordinated by the NCETM to provide national expertise and leadership
Cross-phase, collaborative, joined up

7. Lead School: Providing the mathematical and partnership leadership
Maths Lead
Julia Brown
Hub Administrator
Victoria Plunket
Senior Leader with a strategic role
Sharon Cromie
School
Other Institution
Lead School: Providing the mathematical and partnership leadership
Strategic partners: Working with the lead school to provide strategic leadership for the hubs
Operational partners: Further local leadership and specialist expertise to support whole area

8. Maths Hubs: School/college improvement
Determined support for all schools/colleges to improve:
the teaching of mathematics
the leadership of mathematics
the school’s mathematics curriculum

9. Maths Hubs: National Collaborative projects
NCP1: China-England maths education research and innovation project
NCP2: Singapore textbooks
NCP3: Raising participation in maths education post-16, linking with the CMSP and FMSP

10. Maths Hubs Shanghai teacher exchange
The England-China Maths Education Innovation and Research Project
Transformational impact
Drawing on international expertise
Generating and informed by evidence
Local leadership but with national collaboration
Exemplary maths education

11. Maths Hubs Local projects
Supporting national priorities to improve maths education
Meeting local need

12. ‘Mastery’ teaching in mathematics

13. A way to improve maths education at all levels
Promoting mastery:
Not a gimmick, an evidence-based change of approach
Cultural change: success in maths (and just about anything else) comes primarily from effort, not from ‘being clever’
Intelligent practice to develop deep understanding is the key to success
We can learn from Shanghai and Singapore

14. 3 forms of knowledge
I know that I know how I know why

15. Mastery A belief that pupils can and will achieve
Development of deep structural knowledge
Carefully chosen examples supporting the opportunity to make connections
Keeping the class working together
Quick intervention
Longer time on key topics

16. Deep Conceptual Learning
‘It is essential to enquire into the origins of the applications of the methods so they will not be forgotten for a long time’
‘It is difficult to see the logic and method behind complicated problems. Simple problems are hereby given and elucidated. Once these are understood, problems, however difficult, will become clear’ (Yang Hui 1274)

17. The Answer is only the beginning………..
The teacher presents a maths problem
And then asks:
What is the answer?
Describe the method/procedure you used
Why does the method work, what relationships are involved, what generalities or rules can we glean?

18. Practice makes perfect!
Is doing a large number of exercises compatible with deep learning? It depends on the nature of the practice – Intelligent practice provides opportunity for The development of procedural fluency and conceptual understanding in tandem - Variation theory

19. Procedural Variation – where successive problems link to the previous problem
Examples are linked and support the notion of intelligent practice

20. Procedural Variation
‘In designing these exercises, the teacher is advised to avoid mechanical repetition and to create an appropriate path for practising the thinking process with increasing creativity’ (Gu, 1991).

21. Variation supports intelligent practice

22. Notice the progression from the first example to the final one?

23. Conceptual Variation
Where the concept is represented in different ways to expose and connect different aspects of the concept. This supports depth of understanding and Mastery

24. The Singapore Bar Model: Representing Ratio
Stella and Tom share football stickers in the ratio of 1 to 3. Altogether they have 48 Stickers. How many does Tom have?
Stella 12 48
Flexibility of thinking
Tom 12 12 12
How many more stickers does Tom have than Stella?

25. Grape Raisin A confusing problem
A grape is 80% water. of the water is removed by drying, turning it into a raisin. What is the percentage of water in the raisin?
Grape
Raisin 20 80 20 20

26. Simultaneous equations with the Singapore bar
88 children at a party.
1/3 of the boys pair with 2/5 of the girls for a 3 legged race.
How many boys at the party?
Boys
11 pieces, so 8 children for each piece, so 48 boys
Girls

27. A teaser You have 7 dice You roll them all at the same time
What is more likely:
they all show the same number?
they all show different numbers?