Lines, squares or plain? The pages of maths exercise books, I mean. For years I have insisted that pages have to have squares. Without vertical lines as well as horizontal ones how could my students possibly draw all the right-angled triangles and bearing North lines and coordinate axes and so on that I would tell […]
Read moremaths mastery
I thought I’d write today about the framework of Singapore’s School Mathematics Curriculum. The framework is captured in a well-known diagram that I’ve attached above, and it provoked a lot of interest among teachers when I was last in the UK in November. This was great to see, because this diagram really is at the […]
Read more
“In order for teachers to develop the confidence to deliver a mastery curriculum we need to empower them to take risks in the classroom.” Rebecca Hamburger explains how to go from teacher to master: All too often when I am delivering whole school CPD, I ask the question: “Who loves maths?” and only a few […]
Read more 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 more Pupil 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 more It’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 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‘The Singapore Approach: Raising the Bar in Mathematics’ was the theme explored at Oxford University Press’s International Maths Forum. In this session from the conference, Maths Consultant Andrew Jeffrey explores why children need both fluency and reasoning to be good problem solvers. Browse our selection of free resources and videos from the day by registering […]
Read more‘The Singapore Approach: Raising the Bar in Mathematics’ was the theme explored at Oxford University Press’s International Maths Forum. In this session from the conference, Maths Consultant Sian Thomas explores the spiral approach to learning used in Singapore. Browse our selection of free resources and videos from the day by registering free on Oxford Owl .
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 more