Challenging Topics

“I think that it is so helpful and important to take time to talk to other professionals about maths, learning from each other and gleaning new ideas. I really would like to do this again next year.” (Challenging Topics Work Group participant , Plymouth)

The Challenging Topics Work Group aims to raise students’ attainment by exploring mathematical topics that students find difficult, then collaboratively planning and trialing sequences of lessons to overcome their challenges.

In the first meeting, participants in the work group will identify a topic that students in their schools find challenging. Supported by the Work Group Lead, they will work through the year to combine their own experiences with research around student difficulties and will then collaboratively design and trial lesson sequences.

This work group offers an opportunity for teachers to develop professionally by meeting together, having space and time to plan collaboratively and share expertise across schools, as well giving a structure to bring gathered ideas and experiences back to their own departments.

The Code Maths Hub’s Challenging Topics Work Group will offer a mix of online and face to face meetings, as appropriate to the national and local situation.

There will be an initial online meeting on Wednesday 9 December with a further online meeting in January. The intention is to hold two further face-to-face meetings in March and April (dates tbc). These face-to-face meetings are planned to take place at three venues across the region – Torbay, Plymouth and Central Cornwall and participants should choose just one group to attend.

Key benefits:

• Targeted at your department’s needs
• Research based professional development
• Collaborative planning with expert support and challenge

The Work Group Lead is Richard Perring. Richard supports and trains maths teachers nationally, and was one of the authors of the NCETM’s Secondary Mastery PD Materials.

This work group is free to attend.

5 – 8 Continuity

The 5 – 8 Continuity Work Group aims to bring teachers from different phases together to improve communication and collaboration between Key Stages 2 and 3.

Participants will use multiplicative reasoning as the focus for their work to develop, through lesson design and pedagogy, a coherent approach to teaching and learning from Year 5 to Year 8.

Attendance will comprise workshops during the Spring term and (hopefully) an opportunity to participate in a lesson demonstration and observation, also in the Spring term. Alongside attendance at these workshops, the most positive outcomes for pupils come from participants reflecting on and implementing changes in their own classrooms, between and beyond the sessions.

The 5 – 8 Continuity Work Group will take place in the Liskeard area. Evidence from other parts of the country suggests that the Work Group has most impact when participants come from linked ‘families’ of secondary schools and their feeder primary schools.

Key benefits:

• Expertly designed lessons on a key curriculum area
• Collaborative planning with expert support and challenge
• Cross phase relationships building a coherent curriculum experience for children

The Work Group Lead is Claire Ollerenshaw. Claire is a Secondary Teaching for Mastery Specialist who teaches maths at Liskeard Community College. She is an NCETM Accredited PD Lead.

This work group is free to attend.

Developing Teaching for Mastery (Secondary)

The Developing Teaching for Mastery Work Group offers a funded opportunity for a department to work closely with an expert Teaching for Mastery Specialist to design and implement a bespoke development plan using the principles of Teaching for Mastery

The CODE Maths Hub works with a team of Teaching for Mastery Specialists around the region. These are practicing teachers who have undergone at least two years of training to build their skills in working with maths departments.

When joining the Developing Teaching for Mastery Work Group, your department will nominate two Teaching for Mastery Advocates. These are teachers with the capacity to lead change in your department and who will work closely with the TfM Specialist.

The Developing TfM Work Group is the first step in an ongoing process of working with the CODE Maths Hub and is the first of two years of funded development which then continues through the ‘embedding’ and ‘sustaining’ phases as follows.

Year 1 (2020/2021) – The ‘Developing Year’

Funding of £2000 paid to your department

Your department nominates 2 teachers to become ‘Mastery Advocates’. These Advocates work with a Teaching for Mastery Specialist.

The Advocates and Specialist work together to design and lead the PD Programme.

£2000 funding is offered to allow the Advocates time to work with the department and the Specialist, equivalent to 10 days of cover at £200 per day.

Year 2 (2021/2022) – The ‘Embedding Year’

Funding £1000 paid to your department 

Your Mastery Advocates continue to develop and implement the action plan with the TfM Specialist. The intention is that the Specialist takes a step back in this year, but is still able to visit and support where necessary (hence the reduced funding, which is to reimburse the Advocates’ time to work on the action plan).

This year your Advocates also become a part of the ’Sustaining’ Work Group which is described below.

Year 3 (2022 onwards) – The ’Sustaining Years’

All Advocates who have worked with a Specialist for two years are able to join the Sustaining Work Group. This is a network of teachers, supported by the specialist who are able to work together, to share good practice and support and challenge each other in leading change with their own department.

Key benefits:

• Principled and research based professional development
• Bespoke development programme designed with your department
• Long-term funded programme to allow time for implementation and impact

The Work Group Lead will be a Teaching for Mastery Specialist –

• Simon Jack (Mounts Bay)
• Claire Ollerenshaw (Liskeard)
• Rob Penhaligon (Penryn)
• Mat Smith (Penrice)
• Beth Stivey (Newquay Tretherras)
• Dr Nicola Trubridge (Launceston)
• Darren White (Humphry Davey)

This work group is funded.

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