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NCETM Newsletter - September 2019

Our latest NCETM newsletter is now available

20/09/2019

NCETM Newsletter - September 2019

We hope the new school year has started well for you after a relaxing summer break. Find out what's been happening over the summer, and what's on offer for the coming year.

This month:

Secondary Mastery Professional Development Materials for Key Stage 3 now published

This new, comprehensive resource provides teachers with a detailed description of the key themes and big ideas associated with teaching for mastery.

A complete breakdown of themes, core concepts, statements and key ideas is available to download as both a PDF and an editable spreadsheet. Both versions include a mapping to the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum. There’s also an editable template to create your own guidance documents, and a comprehensive introduction provides tips on how to get the best out of the materials.

Our Primary Mastery Professional Development Materials are complete

We’ve finished publishing our professional development materials to support primary teachers introducing teaching for mastery.

The curriculum is split up into three areas – we call these ‘spines’ – Spine 1: Number, Addition and Subtraction, Spine 2: Multiplication and Division, and Spine 3: Fractions. Each spine is composed of a number of segments, and we’ve also provided a recommended teaching sequence for segments across the three spines.

An explanation of the structure of these materials, with guidance on how teachers can use them, is contained in a new ‘Getting Started’ video.

CPD opportunities with Maths Hubs

All Maths Hubs are now finalising plans for CPD activities during the school year, and there is something in every part of the country for teachers in every school and college phase. Participation in all projects is free, and, in most cases, teachers join a local Work Group, which meets several times to work on material and discuss classroom experiences. Find out what’s on offer, or get in touch with your local hub and talk to them directly about what places they have available.

Summer exam results

Over the summer, we welcomed success in maths results in A level, Core Maths and GCSE. Maths continues to be the most popular subject at A level, and entries for Core Maths also increased. For GCSE the 9-1 grading system is now in its third year. The proportion of students passing maths at a grade 7 or higher and achieving a good pass at grade 4 has remained broadly the same as in 2018.

Our congratulations to all students and their teachers.

Funding opportunities

With the start of the new academic year, you might be thinking of applying for extra funding for a one-off professional development project. Links to a selection of opportunities are given below. However, before applying, you should check the websites for eligibility.

In brief

  • The AMSP’s Problem Solving in post-16 Maths Conferences begin next month in Bristol, with two more to follow in London and Manchester. They are free for those working in state schools and colleges, with a £200 subsidy for every teacher that attends.
  • The International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME14) will be held in Shanghai next summer, and the Joint Mathematical Council (JMC) is offering bursaries of up to £500 to support attendance. The closing date for applications is 30 November. Find out more.
  • The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) has announced a network of computing hubs and aims to ensure full geographical coverage by the end of 2019. A list of the hubs is here.
  • The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) has two things that may be of interest to you and your post-16 students. Their e16plus Newsletter is for 16–19 year olds interested in maths. Also, their Maths Careers websiteprovides a single starting point for those wishing to know where studying mathematics can lead, with a particular focus on students between the age of 11 and 19.
  • The British Education Research Association’s (BERA) Mathematics Education Special Interest Group is organising an event called Practitioner Research in Mathematics Education (PRiME) on 7 December in London. If you are a maths teacher and would like to share your research with colleagues in a friendly environment, please complete the abstract submission form by 5pm on 27 September. As a presenter, you are eligible for a 50% discount on registration fees.

Please do contact us if you have any comments on this newsletter.