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Snapshotsmaths
DECEMBER 2014
•Putinplaceanewmodelforlong-termcurriculumdevelopment.
•Improvenationaltestsandhigh-stakesassessmentsinordertoassessalloftheNationalCurriculumaims.
•Investinhigh-qualitycurriculumresourcesandprofessionaldevelopment.
Themathscurriculum
Awell-designedcurriculumisessentialforthelong-termdevelopmentofmathsconfidenceandcompetence.Anationalcurriculumshould:
• bedesigned,reviewedandrefinedinagradualandcoordinatedwaybymathematicseducationexperts
• supportstudents’abilitytoreasonmathematicallyandsolveproblems
• beassessedinwaysthatareeffectiveandtestalltheaimsofthecurriculum
• besupportedbyhigh-qualityprofessionaldevelopmentandresourcestosupportcurriculumplanningandclassroomteaching.
Wherearewenow?
Anationalcurriculumintroducedin1989setouttheentitlementforallchildren.
•TheNationalCurriculumforprimaryandsecondarystateschoolsinEnglandandWaleswasfirstintroducedinSeptember1989.
•Since1989,themathscurriculumhasbeenrewrittenseveraltimes.
•Between1997and2010thecurriculumwassupportedbytheNationalStrategies,whichincludeddetailedsupportforteachersandnationallyorganisedprofessionaldevelopment.
• IndependentschoolsandcertaincategoriesofpubliclyfundedschoolsinEnglandarenotrequiredtofollowtheNationalCurriculum.
ThemostrecentversionofthecurriculumwasintroducedinSeptember2014.(1)
•ThenewNationalCurriculumaimstodevelopfluency,mathematicalreasoningandproblemsolving.
•Themathscurriculumhasincreasedtheexpectationsforallchildrenandyoungpeople;requirementsforchildreninlowerprimaryyearsareparticularlychallenging.
•Theverywelcomeemphasisonreasoningandproblemsolvingintheaimsneedstobestronglyreflectedinthematerialdevelopedforteachingandassessingprimarychildren.
•KeyStage3(11-14yearolds)isacriticaltimeinchildren’smathseducation,butisonlybrieflydescribedinthenewcurriculum.
Whatarethechallenges?
Therearedifficultiesindeliveringthenewcurriculumtoimprovetheexperienceofallchildren.
•High-stakesassessment,performancemeasuresandthetargetculturecangetinthewayofdevelopingmathsskillsandthinking.(2)
•Thenewcurriculumofferslittleguidanceonprogressioninmathematicalconceptsfromyeartoyearandacrosskeystages.
•Rapidcurriculumchangechallengesthecreationofhigh-quality,trialledteachingmaterial,suchastextbooks.
•Asmanyschoolsarenotrequiredtofollowthemathscurriculum,therearequestionsaroundtheentitlementforallchildren.
Teacherswillfindithardtodeliverthenewcurriculum.
•Thereisashortageofsubjectexpertiseamongteachersofprimaryandlowersecondaryschool.(3)
•Thereisalackofhigh-qualitysharedguidanceandresourcestosupportteachingforunderstanding.
•Theprofessionaldevelopmentprovisionforteachersofmathsispatchyandfragmentary,lackingincontinuityandconsistency.(SeeMathsSnapshot:Teachersofmaths.)
Whatneedstohappen?
1.Thereisaneedtodevelopabroadunderstandingofcorecurricularaimsamongstteachers,schoolleadersandgovernors.
•Classroomexperiencesofmathsshouldberich,connected,engagingandchallenging.
•Ifteachersfocusonincreasingmathematicalunderstanding,asendorsedintheOfstedSchoolInspectionhandbook,thisraisesattainmentandenablesstudentstosolveunfamiliarproblems.(4)
• Teachernetworks,inparticularnewMathsHubs,canfacilitatethedisseminationofgoodpracticeinintegratingfluency,mathematicalreasoningandproblemsolvingintoteaching.
2.Theproductionofcurriculumresourcesandprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesneedstobeofhighqualityandaddressallthecurriculumaims.(5)
• Nationalsponsorshiporkite-markingofhigh-qualitycurriculumsupportresources,forexamplecurriculumplanningtoolsortextbooks,isneeded.(6)High-qualitytextbooksshouldbealignedtothecurriculum,asisthecaseinmanyhigh-performingjurisdictions.(SeeMathsSnapshot:internationalcomparisons.)
• Professionaldevelopmentshouldensurethattheaspirationsofthecurriculumcanberealisedforalllearners.
3.Thereisanurgentneedtoimproveassessment,particularlyonproblemsolving.
•Mathematicalproblemsolvingispoorlyunderstood.Improvedmodelsofassessmentareurgentlyneededtoavoid‘teachingtothetest’andtoensurethattestsmeasuremathsthinkingandunderstanding.Thesemodelsshouldbedevelopedandevaluatedcarefullybyexpertsinvolvedindevelopingaholisticmathscurriculumacrossallphasesofeducation.
4.Anewmodeloflong-termcurriculumdevelopmentisneeded.
•Reviewsshouldberegular,ongoing,informedbytrialsandoverasufficienttimescale,forexampleevery10years,inordertoensurestability.(SeeMathsSnapshot:Mathseducationpolicy.)
•Curriculumandqualificationreform,includingofassessment,shouldbeundertakenbyaknowntransparentbodyofexpertsthathasaccesstoafullrangeofrelevantevidenceandexpertise.
•Theseexpertswoulddevelophigh-qualityassessmentinparallelwithcurriculumdevelopmenttoensurecoherence.
1:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum
2:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/297595/Primary_Accountability_and_Assessment_Consultation_Response.pdf
3:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335413/sfr11_2014_updated_july.pdf
4:http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/inspection--forms-and-guides/s/School%20inspection%20handbook.pdf
5:http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/values-and-variables-mathematics-education-high-performing-countries
6:http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/181744-why-textbooks-count-tim-oates.pdf
Forfurtherinformationaboutthe
AdvisoryCommitteeonMathematicsEducation:
Tel:+44(0)2074512588email:[email protected]
www.acme-uk.org @ACMEmaths