Dates

Workshop 1 - Tuesday 10th December 2024 - 1330-1615 Online

Workshop 2 - Tuesday 28th January 2025 - 1330-1615 Online

Workshop 3 - Tuesday 8th April 2025 - 1330-1615 Online

Workshop 4 - Tuesday 17th June 2025 - 1330-1615 Online

When booking, please note the dates and times in your diary, and submit your cover request in school.

SHaW Developing Pedagogy in A Level Mathematics 2024/2025

This Work Group will have two central themes: Problem Solving and Technology. These two themes will apply to both the Pure and Applied components of the A Level course. We will be exploring the pedagogical challenges involved in trying to make our students more adept and more confident when faced with tackling unfamiliar problems. We will also be examining ways in which effective use of technology can be used to enhance conceptual understanding of key topics. Although in some sessions these themes will be dealt with as separate entities, there is obviously much scope for overlap and we will be looking at ways in which the two themes can effectively offer mutual enhancement. Finally, those attending this Work Group will have the opportunity to suggest specific aspects of the A level course which they would like to examine in finer detail.

This Work Group complements the AMSP’s wider professional development offer by providing a sustained collaborative environment for experienced A level Maths teachers to further explore their classroom practice. It is designed to deepen teacher pedagogic content knowledge, empowering teachers to enhance their classroom practice and also to influence A level teaching across their department. It is an engine for improving student understanding of A level Maths, and driving their subsequent success.

Each Work Group will have a specific theme or focus, generally related to the ‘overarching themes’ in the A level Maths specification, or one of the Five Big ideas from the teaching for mastery approach, although it could encompass any aspect of A level Maths teaching and learning. The activity of the Work Group will involve insights from experts, research, and discussion leading to collaborative planning of tasks for the classroom.

Participants will attend a sequence of sessions lead by expert Work Group Leads and supported by central resources and training. Work Groups include collaborative planning and school-based activities to complete between sessions.

This project has proven incredibly valuable to previous participants with a wide variety of experience. The flexibility of the Work Group model means that participants benefit from experiences that are tailored to their needs. This has included changing approaches in schools and colleges and a renewed enthusiasm for teaching A level Maths

Quotes from previous participants

• “The Maths Hub should be a regular part of CPD every year. We have a limited number of KS5 teachers in school and therefore collaborating with a wider network of KS5 teachers is extremely valuable. Thank you.”
• “Taking part in this has inspired me to be more creative with my resources and activities in order to promote valuable learning discussions and to deepen student understanding of the topics in the programme. I have shared ideas with colleagues, and as a department we have implemented some of the ideas discussed at the meetings. One thing in particular that I believe has had an impact on student progress has been the implementation of a ‘proof-a-lesson’ scheme where students’ starter activity every lesson was to complete one proof question.”
• “I thought all the people who collaborated were excellent. Particularly the people running the Work Group. I thought they were incredibly insightful and allowed time for us to explore different topics within each session. I could not rate them or the programme higher.”
• “There is something so incredibly valuable about networking with other A level teachers. The Work Group Lead facilitates these sessions superbly: gets us thinking about our own practice and sharing ideas with others. I always welcome the time to ‘think mathematically’ and look forward to discussing curriculum next year.”

Who will be leading the group?

Martin Withington

Martin has taught A level Maths and Further Maths and is an Associate for the Advanced Maths Support Programme (AMSP).  He has extensive experience in using IT both in the classroom and for resource preparation. Martin also supports the professional development of teachers as a popular workshop lead at conferences.

Who is it for?

Participants will be established teachers of A level Maths who are looking to deepen their pedagogical understanding around a locally selected theme. Participants must be teaching a current A level Maths group. Participants who will find this Work Group particularly useful include those who may have already completed other A level subject knowledge and pedagogy CPD. It is NOT a subject knowledge enhancement project. It is focused on A level teachers working collaboratively to improve their practice.

Participants’ institutions must commit to:

• releasing them to attend all Work Group sessions
• allowing them to develop their practice in their classroom and share this with department colleagues.

Participants must commit to:

• attending all Work Group sessions and engaging with and completing activities between Work Group sessions

What are the intended outcomes?

Student outcomes

Students will:

• have a deeper conceptual understanding of the A level Maths content
• recognise links between topics that can improve the efficiency of their learning
• understand the content through the lens of the ‘overarching themes’ of A level Maths (Proof, Problem Solving and Modelling).
• think, reason and discuss their maths, leading to deeper understanding and enjoyment.

Whole school/departmental policies and approaches

Participants will work with their school/subject leaders to:

• further embed the ‘overarching themes’ of A level Maths into their curriculum
• ensure their department has a better understanding of the Five Big Ideas of the NCETM teaching for mastery pedagogy, and how they can be used in the classroom
• provide professional development within their department around subject content pedagogy for A level Maths.

Practice development

Participants will:

•  plan sequences of lessons which meet the requirements of the A level, including addressing the ‘overarching themes’ of A level Maths and use of technology
• apply pedagogical approaches related to the theme of their Work Group in their A level teaching in a way that will also support colleagues in their own school/college.

Professional learning

Participants will:

• understand the purpose of the ‘overarching themes’ of A level Maths, including use of technology, and their impact on teaching and learning in A level Maths
• have a deeper understanding of content pedagogic knowledge for A level Maths
• have an understanding of how the NCETM’s teaching for mastery pedagogy relates to A level Maths pedagogy.

What is the cost?

Free - funded equally by Maths Hubs and AMSP