How mastery works in a secondary school maths department

In this podcast, the last of the 2018/19 school year, we find out how a secondary school maths department works together to ensure all maths lessons in Years 7 and 8 are consistent in approach—and it’s a teaching for mastery approach developed by the department gradually over three years. One of the teachers interviewed has just finished the first year of training, with the NCETM and his local Maths Hub, as a Mastery Specialist. The other is the head of KS3 maths at the school, Penrice Academy in St Austell, Cornwall.

Show notes

Taking part in the discussion are:

• Matt Smith, Mastery Specialist teacher, Penrice Academy
• Gerald Parry, Head of Key Stage 3 maths, Penrice Academy
• Steve McCormack, Communications Director, NCETM

Episode chapters

• 02:26 – How teaching for mastery began at Penrice Academy
• 07:31 – Matt Smith’s training as a Mastery Specialist
• 10:06 – What’s changed in the school’s maths department
• 10:36 – Mixed attainment classes
• 13:46 – Collaborative planning
• 19:18 – The maths lesson model at Penrice
• 20:56 – Journaling (by pupils in every lesson)
• 25:26 – Teacher professional development
• 27:21 – The overall impact on pupils