In a recent blog post , I talked about the way in which the much-praised Asian education systems are rethinking their ‘grades are everything’ approach to education. It is encouraging to see that they are beginning to realise the importance of a more holistic, child-friendly approach, though I worry that for some years we in the UK […]
Read moreMastery
At Coldfall Primary School, we recently adopted the Inspire Maths programme and teachers are working hard to bring the ‘Singapore’ or ‘mastery’ approach into their lessons. But what does teaching for mastery look like in the Singapore classroom? How do teachers use textbooks and how do they ensure that children are appropriately challenged and supported? […]
Read morePupil progress shouldn’t be confused with curriculum pace: good progress in mathematics is not about moving on quickly Primary schools are still responding to significant changes to assessment and accountability put in place by the government over recent years. This started with the removal of National Curriculum levels and was followed by new key stage […]
Read moreIt’s not just academies and free schools that enjoy curriculum freedom: maintained schools have more flexibility than they think I am often asked at maths education events whether south-east Asian mastery is at odds with statutory curriculum requirements. Head teachers and maths co-ordinators in many schools yet to make the change to mastery state: ‘Our […]
Read more
Sometimes we are unsure how well a topic has been received or understood by the class. We don’t want to wait until they can’t do their homework, which you don’t find out about until they come into your next lesson, to do something about this. Collecting a quick snapshot from every student about their level […]
Read more
There is a lot of talk about mastery in science education. It has become the new ‘buzzword’ and some might claim the panacea in teaching and learning. Having done a bit of reading and thinking about this, I am yet to be convinced about whether it is really the solution to success in science. In […]
Read moreI was thrilled to see the results of a new University of Oxford impact study today , highlighting and confirming my belief that OUP’s mastery in maths programme Inspire Maths can make a very real positive impact on children’s maths abilities. I have seen first-hand the difference that mastery can make when visiting schools in Singapore . My Pals Are Here! – which Inspire Maths is based […]
Read more“All Asians are good at Maths!” We hear that often enough. The debate on the political correctness of this all-too-familiar banter is not the subject of this discussion. The fact is that many Asian countries such as South Korea, China and Singapore have excelled in many of the Mathematics tests, surveys and Olympiads yearly. It makes sense to pick […]
Read moreFew if any of us who are involved in mathematics education will be unfamiliar with the name Jerome Bruner. Born in 1915, his ideas have had a huge influence on the way we have taught mathematics to children in the last 60 years or so. Bruner’s work on developmental psychology is almost certainly a ‘de-rigeur’ […]
Read more
Can you teach a mastery curriculum with your existing resources? Here’s how one school have done just that…. We recently spoke to Mark Osmond, Head of Maths at Kings’ School Winchester, about how his department are using MyMaths for KS3 to help them employ a mastery approach to teaching mathematics. Thanks to Mark and the […]
Read more