From the Chief Executive:

► Impact of recent changes on uptake of Maths AS/A levels

► New Government support for maths education

► New videos to support teaching and learning of AS/A level Maths and Further Maths

December 2017

MEI Newsletter

There is anecdotal evidence that these changes may have reduced uptake of the mathematics A levels. It would also be useful to understand how Core Maths numbers are changing this year. However, we don’t yet have a clear idea of what is really happening.

Increasing the uptake of maths at beyond GCSE level post-16 is a national priority, so it

Inside this issue:

Mathematics Conferences

3

MEI Annual Conference 2018

4

Easing Mathematical Transition from Year 6 to Year 7

5

Head of Mathematics course

6

Integral Update 7

Are you using the correct large data set at A level?

8

Questions about the MEI A levels?

8

Coursework marks 8

Comparing performance in Higher and Foundation tiers at GCSE

9

FMSP update: CPD and videos

10

MEI survey into participation in AS/A level maths

11

This year there has been a number of significant changes that have the potential to influence the uptake of the mathematics AS/A levels:

►introduction of the new, more demanding, GCSE Maths ►move to linear A levels ►many schools/colleges shrinking their year 12 A level programmes to 3, rather than 4, subjects

Impact of recent changes on the uptake of

Maths AS/A levels

New Government support for maths educat ion

3. nurturing top mathematical talent by delivering on the commitment to open maths schools across the country. The Budget commits £18 million to fund an annual £350,000 for every maths school under the specialist maths school model, which includes outreach work

4. testing innovative approaches to improve GCSE Maths resit outcomes by launching an £8.5 million pilot, alongside £40 million to establish Further Education Centres of Excellence across the country to train maths teachers and spread best practice

1. £27 million to expand the successful Teaching for Mastery maths programme into a further 3,000 schools (this is by 2023 and relates to NCETM/Maths Hubs work in primary and secondary schools, it is an expansion of the programme for over 8,000 primary schools that was announced in 2015)

2. funding to reward schools and colleges who support their students to study maths by giving them £600 for every extra pupil who decides to take Maths or Further Maths A levels or Core Maths – with over £80 million available initially, and no cap on numbers

In November, two major government documents with implications for maths education were published, the Autumn Budget statement and the Industrial Strategy White Paper. Both showed the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting maths education.

MEI welcomes this support and we will do all we can to help ensure new initiatives work well and funding is used effectively.

Autumn Budget statement

The following funding initiatives to support maths education were announced:

is vital to understand how and why uptake is changing.

MEI, with support from leading maths organisations, is currently conducting a large scale online survey to try to establish an accurate picture. Please see Stephen Lee’s article for more details and a link to the survey, and make sure your school/college responds.

Cont. on page 2

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MEI Newslet ter

Industrial Strategy White Paper

The White Paper has a whole section on ‘Driving up the study of maths’ (pages 104–107), which gives some helpful messages:

►‘Improving the take up of maths qualifications and the quality of maths teaching across the education system is one of the most significant interventions that government can make to tackle STEM skills shortages and secure wider benefits for the economy.’

►‘Adults with basic numeracy skills earn higher wages and are more likely to be employed than those who fail to master basic quantitative skills.’ ►‘We need to boost the number of people reaching a good standard by the end of compulsory education to strengthen our economy, widen prosperity and compete with the top international education systems.’

The Industrial Strategy White Paper strongly endorses the findings of Sir Adrian Smith’s review of post-16 maths education. The Strategy refers to the initiatives mentioned in the Autumn Budget statement, detailed above, and also mentions an additional £6 million to increase Maths Hub capacity in areas of greatest need.

The Strategy also mentions the Level 3 Maths Support Programme (L3MSP):

‘We have already taken some early actions in response to the Smith Review. This includes a level 3 Maths Support Programme, which will build on the momentum created by the Further Maths and Core Maths Support Programmes, and work with schools and colleges to improve maths education by sharing best practice and working to increase participation and attainment in maths among 16-18 year olds. The programme will work to deliver focused intervention targeted to those who need it most.’

However, to date no further details have been released about the L3MSP, which it is hoped will start from April 2018. As ever, MEI will publish new information when it becomes available.

Cont. from page 1 Initiatives 2 and 4 above relate directly to recommendations 6 and 8 in Sir Adrian Smith’s review of post-16 maths education.

This funding appears on page 47 of the Autumn Budget Statement (document page 52). Other statements relating to education, including on Computer Science, T-levels, Gender Disparity in STEM and a Teacher Development premium, appear on page 48.

There are many as yet unanswered questions about how this new funding will work - I’m sure you thought of several as soon as you read the points above! (especially 2 and 4).

We’ll publish new information as soon as it is available.

Please see Sue de Pomerai’s and Avril Steele’s articles for details.

Charlie Stripp

Chief Executive

Email Charlie

Through the FMSP, MEI has developed extensive new video resources for AS/A level Maths and Further Maths, which are freely available to FMSP-registered schools and colleges.

New videos to support teaching and learn ing of AS/A level

Maths and Further Maths

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Decem ber 2017

range of subject associations including the MA, ATM and NANAMIC.

In addition to MEI, FMSP and Integral stands in the exhibition, several MEI colleagues will be presenting sessions.

Debbie Barker will report findings of her research into effective professional development; Tom Button will present sessions on

BCME9 3-6 April University of Warwick

Booking is open for the 2018 BCME9 Conference at the University of Warwick. BCME takes place every four years and brings together a

GeoGebra and Further Pure with Technology; Katharine Davies will discuss her work related to effective teaching of GCSE resit; Terry Dawson will explore ways of developing Core Maths tasks from interesting starting points; Stella Dudzic will look at ideas for teaching hypothesis testing using the binomial distribution; Alison Hopper (who

has a related article in this newsletter) will look at supporting transition from KS2 to KS3; Jo Sibley, Sharon Tripconey and Sue de Pomerai will reflect on online professional development, and Charlie Stripp will analyse the impact of recent changes in maths education and what might be learnt for the future.

Mathemat ics Conferences

You can watch a video in which delegates talk about the MEI Conference 2017.

MEI Conference 28-30 June Keele University

We will be holding our own annual conference 2018 in the stunning campus and conference facilities at Keele University. Registration will open by 8 December– please save the date and sign up for updates on the MEI Conference website.

The MEI Conference is an annual three-day event for 11-19 maths teachers of all specifications, and at all career stages. Delegates can register for 1, 2 or 3 full days at the conference, with or without accommodation.

Here’s a taste of some of what we will be offering to our 2018 delegates:

►developing reasoning, problem solving and mastery across KS3&4

►supporting post-16 maths students with A level, Core Maths and GCSE resit

►a look back on year 1 of the new maths A level and a look forward to year 2

►an introduction to the Core Maths qualifications for those wanting to teach Core Maths for the first time

►enrichment ideas for your students and for you!

We are delighted that Casio will be sponsoring our 2018 conference, and are grateful for their continued support.

Bernard Murphy

Programme Leader

(Teacher Support)

Email Bernard

“a brilliant, useful, well-managed, inspiring, informative, principled, practical, illuminating, useful and fun conference”

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MEI Newslet ter

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Decem ber 2017

My role in MEI is to focus on maths teaching and learning across the KS2-3 transition.

The Ofsted report ‘KS3 – The Wasted Years’ tells a story of the importance of effective communication between phases regarding curriculum and pedagogy.

Done well, this leads to successful transition; ignored, it can result in lost progress and engagement with maths in the first years at secondary school.

of 100) and have gaps in their mathematical understanding and skills. Each unit contains an assessment activity and then a series of structured activities/games to build and develop understanding and skill before the assessment activity is repeated at the end of the unit. Over time there will be units focusing on number facts (including times tables), place value, units of measure, mental calculation, 2D shape and fractions. The first 2 units (times tables and place value) are about to be launched in a pilot project in a number of schools.

To complement these intervention materials, I am writing a set of maths units for use in Year 6 in the Summer Term. These will focus on the same aspects of maths as the intervention materials and will encourage reasoning and problem solving whilst being flexible enough to link to the wide range of projects undertaken by Year 6 pupils after they have taken their Key Stage 2 SATs.

The focus on these key aspects of maths both in Y6 and in Y7 will not only support the students but will also begin to provide

The EEF has recently released its guidance report: Improving Mathematics in Key Stages Two and Three, highlighting best practice across phases. These documents are informing much of MEI’s work in this area.

I am currently working on projects in both Year 6 and Year 7 to smooth the academic transition for children in maths. In collaboration with others (including Funkey Maths) we are developing a series of intervention units for peer mentoring with Year 10 students working with Year 7s on key aspects of maths required for secure progress into the KS3 curriculum.

The resources are designed to support students who just missed out on achieving Age Related Expectation (a standardised score

a common language for teachers in primary and secondary phases to communicate curriculum and pedagogical information as children transfer between schools, as well as the all-important pastoral information.

We have limited spaces for people to be involved with piloting these materials, so if you are interested, please get in touch. Alison Hopper

Primary Mathematics Specialist

Email Alison

Easing Mathemat ica l Transi t ion f rom Year 6 to Year 7

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MEI Newslet ter

The Head of Mathematics course consists of three study days spread across a six-month period (January, March & June 2018). Participants work together to evaluate their leadership style, articulate their vision of effective maths teaching and learning, and explore effective leadership strategies in order to bring about improvement in the teaching and learning of maths.

The Head of Mathematics role is of key strategic importance in any secondary school or college. With the pressures surrounding maths teacher recruitment and retention, as well as the impact of ongoing curriculum change, now is both an exciting and challenging time to be a Head of Mathematics.

With the aim of supporting those new to the role, MEI has developed its Head of Mathematics course, ideally suited for people in their first few years of leading a maths department. We are pleased to once again be offering it for 2018, beginning in January.

These are just a few of the comments we have received from participants who have recently completed the course:

Participants are also supported in embedding the principles of the course in practice through structured interim tasks.

For further details please visit mei.org.uk/hod, where the online registration form can be found, or email cpd@mei.org.uk.

Head of Mathemat ics course

Debbie Barker

KS3 & 4

CPD Coordinator

Email Debbie

Simon Clay

TAM Coordinator

Email Simon

Really enjoyable sessions with

thought provoking content.

It has really expanded my

knowledge of leading a team.

Thoughtful, practical, engaging.

Time to step back and think

about which direction I want to

lead my department.

Practical things to think about

and apply; time to think about

bigger picture.

Talking about maths with people

who are in similar situations and

co-ordinators who have the

experience.

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Decem ber 2017

Many Integral resources support the use of technology in teaching and learning. Integral includes tasks that encourage students to explore mathematical concepts for themselves using technology, videos demonstrating the use of technology to analyse data sets, and technology-based learning walkthroughs.

Resources for AS Maths, most of A level Maths and most of AS Further Maths are now in place in the new Integral website for the 2017 qualifications for the AQA, Edexcel, OCR and MEI specifications. Many new resources have been added this term, particularly for the optional content of AS Further Mathematics. Resources will continue to be added throughout the spring term and beyond, providing full support for teaching the new qualifications.

Integral is fully up to date with resources to reflect the change in emphasis in the new AS and A levels, including greater emphasis on problem-solving and the use of technology.

The cog symbol in the image (right) of a new

problem-solving starter question is used throughout Integral to denote any resource that is useful for the development of problem-solving skills. This includes particular questions in written exercises and group activities that require problem-solving strategies.

In tegra l – update on the new s i te for the new

Mathemat ics and Further Mathemat ics AS/A levels

The image (above) shows a page from a walkthrough in which a slider can be used to investigate the probability of extreme outcomes as an introduction to hypothesis testing.

You can book an online tour of Integral for your department via integralmaths.org.

MEI has been working closely with Hodder Education to ensure that Integral can be used effectively alongside Hodder Education’s new books to support the 2017 qualifications. Visit the Hodder website to see how links to Integral appear in Hodder’s e-textbooks.

Richard Lissaman

Online Resources

Coordinator

Email Richard

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MEI Newslet ter

process and have been used for professional development; they may also have been used for writing resources. Although draft specifications and assessment materials are watermarked as drafts, this isn’t possible with spreadsheets and so there is the scope for teachers to think they have the final data set even when they have an earlier version.

Various versions of A level Mathematics large data sets have been available during the accreditation

Stella Dudzic

Programme Leader

(Curriculum and

Resources)

Email Stella

Are you using the correct large data set a t A level?

You are advised to download the final versions from exam board websites.

►AQA

►Edexcel

►MEI under pre-release. Each data set has a first tab which says which years it is for.

►OCR spec A under pre-release.

Quest ions about the MEI A levels?

If you have questions about the MEI A levels, please direct them as follows:

►Stella Dudzic for questions about teaching the legacy specifications

►Keith Proffitt for questions about teaching the new linear specifications

►OCR for questions

about examinations.

OCR is producing practice papers for the new MEI specifications; the first set is due to be available in December 2017.

Keith Proffitt

Curriculum

Developer

Email Keith

Coursework marks

More information can be found on the JCQ website through the following links:

►Notice to centres

►Suggested template

The OCR blog gives further details.

The JCQ and its awarding body members wish to remind centres that candidates must now be informed of their centre assessed marks so that they may request a review of the centre’s marking before marks are submitted to the awarding body.

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Decem ber 2017

For GCSE Mathematics, there must be at least 20% of the marks on common questions for both tiers. These questions should be targeted at grades 4 and 5.

Awarding organisations are required to report to Ofqual on how they have ensured comparability of standards between different tiers within a qualification.

This is the third in a series of three articles about how exam grades are decided; this article outlines how the common questions at Higher and Foundation tier are used to inform grading at GCSE. There have always been some common questions between Higher and Foundation tiers but the reformed GCSE has a minimum percentage of the qualification which must consist of common questions.

Compar ing performance in Higher and Foundat ion t iers at GCSE

A method called “chained equipercentile equating” is used to provide additional evidence when setting grade boundaries. An example based on made up data is given below.

Imagine that each of Foundation and Higher tier have 100 marks with 20 of the marks from common questions.

For Higher tier, find the cumulative percentage gaining each mark.

A cumulative percentage is also found for each mark for the common items at Higher tier.

Similarly, cumulative percentages are found for both the total mark on Foundation tier and for the common items.

To find an equivalent mark on Foundation tier to a particular mark on Higher tier the following method is used.

This method can be used as additional information when setting grade boundaries.

In the above example, a total of 49 on Higher tier equates to a total of 83 on Foundation tier.

For more information about chained equipercentile equating and GCSE awarding see the Ofqual blog.

Stella Dudzic

Programme Leader

(Curriculum and

Resources)

Higher tier total

To find a mark on Foundation tier which is equivalent to a total of 48 on Higher tier, first find the mark on the common items with the same cumulative percentage for the Higher tier candidates

Higher tier common items

Mark Cumulative % Mark Cumulative %

… … … …

50 55 17 55

49 57 16 57

48 59 15 59

47 61 14 61

46 63 13 63

45 65 12 65

… … … …

Foundation tier common items

Now find the cumulative percentage on the common items for the common items mark from Higher tier and the total on the Foundation tier exam with that cumulative percentage.

Foundation tier total

Mark Cumulative % Mark Cumulative %

… … … …

17 15 85 15

16 18 84 18

15 21 83 21

14 28 82 27

13 32 81 32

12 35 80 34

… … … …

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MEI Newslet ter

mechanics, and teaching statistics using the large data set. These videos are now available via the FMSP website.

Each five minute video is accompanied by questions to consider when watching the video, the resources used in the video, and suggested lesson plans. In addition, we have included a section suggesting ideas for how the videos and resources could be used in departmental meetings, to encourage reflection and discussion amongst teachers.

FMSP Professional Development Videos

Earlier this year the FMSP worked alongside teachers and students in five different schools and colleges to produce sets of short videos to support teachers by providing ideas that can be incorporated into AS and A level lessons for Mathematics and Further Mathematics. The videos cover the overarching themes: reasoning and proof, problem solving, use of technology, mathematical modelling in

We hope that viewing the videos will give individual maths teachers and maths departments ideas and inspiration for how to address the overarching themes of the new A level specifications.

Sue de Pomerai

FMSP Deputy

Programme Leader

requirements of the new A levels. Teachers in state-funded schools and colleges are entitled to a bursary to cover the cost of the course fees, payable on completion.

New for January 2018 is the Teaching Discrete Mathematics (TD) course. This course will cover topics such as algorithms, networks, linear programming and critical path analysis, which were included in the D1 and D2 modules of the legacy specifications. This

content is now exclusively taught as one of the optional components in AS/A level Further Mathematics: Discrete Mathematics (AQA and OCR A), Decision Mathematics (Edexcel) and Modelling with Algorithms (OCR B (MEI)). For more information about the new Teaching Discrete Mathematics course please contact Jeff Trim, TD Course Leader.

The FMSP already offers sustained courses in Teaching

Advanced Mathematics (TAM), Teaching Mechanics (TM), Teaching Statistics (TS), and Teaching Further Mathematics (TFM).

Applications are now open for all these sustained courses starting in January/February 2018. Please see furthermaths.org.uk/cpd for further details.

Toby Rome

FMSP Central

Coordinator

Completing the suite of sustained CPD courses

Applications are now open for the second round of this year’s Further Mathematics Support Programme (FMSP) extended CPD courses, which will begin in early 2018.

These courses, which provide opportunities to access sustained professional development through face-to-face study days and live online sessions, have been developed to meet the

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Decem ber 2017

a survey of schools and colleges to find out details of their A level provision and the number of students studying maths at beyond GCSE level post-16.

We would like as large a response to this survey as possible. If your school or college has not yet completed the survey then please follow this link.

MEI and FMSP survey into participation in AS/A level Mathematics and Further Mathematics

With the support of ALMAB (A level Mathematics Advisory Board), the London Mathematical Society, The Royal Statistical Society and the Joint Mathematics Council, MEI (through the FMSP) is conducting

We would be grateful if you would complete this survey by the deadline of Wednesday 13 December 2017.

It should take around 20 minutes to complete, however it is helpful to have data to hand for the number of students who studied maths A levels and Core

Maths in your institution last year and this year. To thank you for your time you will be given the chance to enter contact details to opt-in to a random prize draw to win one of five £20 Amazon Vouchers.

Stephen Lee

MEI Research and

Evaluation Manager

Further Mathematics specifications. Watching these videos is sufficient to introduce students to the mathematical concepts. Learning is then consolidated through exercises and tutorials.

In the summer term over 270 short videos, covering the content of the first half of AS Further Mathematics courses, were recorded and uploaded to Integral. In addition to teacher logins for Integral resources, schools and colleges

FMSP Support for teaching Further Mathematics

The FMSP supports the teaching of Further Mathematics, providing access to Integral resources, and, when schools/colleges can’t offer Further Mathematics themselves, the FMSP can provide all or part of the tuition, either face-to-face or online.

The changes to the maths AS/A levels have prompted the FMSP to review its support. In order to provide schools and colleges with resources that are free and can be used more flexibly, it was decided to replace the Live Interactive Lectures for FM courses with collections of short pre-recorded videos, which cover the content from the

registering with the FMSP are now sent a student login providing access to all these videos. The FM videos have also been embedded in the appropriate Further Mathematics courses in Integral, alongside the other related teaching resources. Our aim in providing these video resources is to enable more schools/colleges to offer Further Mathematics courses. Work is continuing this term to record videos for the remaining content of AS Further

Mathematics courses, so that there is complete coverage of at least one route through AS Further Mathematics for all four awarding organisations.

The FMSP continues to offer live online and face-to-face tuition for students whose schools/colleges are unable to support their learning for Further Mathematics. The Integral resources and new FM videos are the basis for the schemes of work for the FMSP tuition programme, and students meet weekly with a tutor to go over the content they have studied independently.

Avril Steel

FMSP Central

Coordinator

Contact:

MEI Monckton House Epsom Centre White Horse Business Park Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 0XG

Phone: 01225 776776

Fax: 01225 775755

E-mail: office@mei.org.uk

© MEI 2017

Websites:

MEI: mei.org.uk

FMSP: furthermaths.org.uk

MEI conference: conference.mei.org.uk

Integral mathematics resources: integralmaths.org

Social Media:

Facebook: facebook.com/MEIMaths

Twitter: twitter.com/MEImaths

twitter.com/MEIConference

twitter.com/Integral_Maths

twitter.com/furthermaths

MEI pioneers the development of innovative teaching and learning resources, including extensive online materials to support all major examination syllabuses.

MEI offers teachers of all GCSE, A level and Core Maths specifications a range of continuing professional development (CPD) courses, provides specialist tuition for students and works with industry to

MEI is a membership organisation and a charity. Since the 1960s, MEI has worked to support mathematics teaching and learning. Any income generated through MEI’s work is used to support mathematics education.

MEI emphasises understanding and enjoyment of mathematics and also highlights the importance of mathematics in industry and commerce.

enhance mathematical skills in the workplace.

MEI’s popular A level specification is administered by OCR, with MEI taking responsibility for the curriculum, and providing course textbooks published by Hodder Education.

MEI manages the government-funded Further Mathematics Support Programme (FMSP), providing advice and support for teachers of AS/A level Mathematics and

About MEI

Further Mathematics in schools and colleges throughout England.

MEI is a member of the consortium, with Tribal Education, which manages the government-funded National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) and coordinates the work of the Maths Hubs.

Company registration number: 3265490