Spotlight on Work Group Leads - Primary Mastery

Work Group Leads are the people responsible for leading Maths Hubs professional development at a local level. Experts in both maths teaching and CPD, they combine knowledge of their local context with an understanding of the national picture of maths teaching. This means that they can make the professional development they lead as bespoke and high-quality as possible. Working with small groups of teachers and schools, they really get to know participants and work with them over an academic year or more. And they are usually practising classroom teachers at the same time too.

But who are Work Group Leads, and how have they taken on the role? In our ‘Spotlights’ series, we speak to Work Group Leads across the country, in all phases, to learn more.

Sam Savory is a Year 6 teacher at Lavenham Primary in Suffolk. She has led Work Groups for Primary Mastery Development, Embedding and Sustaining for Angles Maths Hub. Sam trained as a Mastery Specialist in 2020, has completed the PD Lead Programme, and is beginning the School Development Lead Programme this year. Since becoming a Work Group Lead, Sam has worked with over 50 schools locally.

What is your current role at your school?
I’m a Year 6 teacher, as well as being Assistant Designated Safeguarding Lead, and lead for maths, reading and writing. Because it’s a small school, I am the only other member of SLT alongside my headteacher. I’m busy, but I love being involved across school as well as in the classroom.

When did you first get involved with Angles Maths Hub and how?
My school took part in a Development Work Group in 2019. I’d already done some research into teaching for mastery, and I wanted to be able to work with other professionals to embed this into my own practice. I put the idea to my headteacher, who is now an Advocate for Angles Maths Hub, and the rest is history! After training as a Mastery Specialist, I started leading Work Groups for the hub in 2021.

What does your Work Group Lead activity involve?
It’s my job to lead and inspire teachers to adapt and review their teaching approaches. I also teach live lessons, demonstrating mastery approaches for people to observe. I visit schools on the Teaching for Mastery Programme and give them bespoke support to implement mastery. Attending central and local training and meetings has also meant I’ve been able to work with other local leaders of maths education (LLME), so we can share expertise with one another to offer a rich and varied package to schools.

What are the challenges of being a Work Group Lead?
Being a Work Group Lead and working as a full-time teacher, member of SLT and lead of other subjects needs good time management. You have to be strict with yourself on the time you give to each element of your role. But it is worth it! To be able to enhance the subject knowledge of not only those you seek to inspire but also your own practice is invaluable. Becoming a Work Group Lead has enabled me to learn so much about myself as a teacher and how I can support the children I teach in a more effective way.

What do you most enjoy about being a Work Group Lead?
That’s easy – I love sharing my passion and enthusiasm for the teaching of maths with others. I enjoy delivering workshops and visiting schools to support the implementation of the vision for maths in their school. It's all about igniting that curiosity to know more, not only for our pupils but for the teachers inspiring our next generation.

Want to become a Work Group Lead?

Find out more about how local leaders of maths education (LLME) lead the work of the Maths Hubs at a local level, and how you can become one.

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