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:acme@royalsociety.org

www.acme-uk.org @ACMEmaths