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

You are invited to join a Work Group that is aimed at fostering partnerships in initial teacher education (ITE) in the region. We hope that this will support shared approaches to Teaching for Mastery and foster a network of support for mathematics ITE mentors and trainee teachers.

This Work Group will share approaches to working with trainee teachers in relation to mathematics. It will include developing coaching that improves the knowledge and practice of beginning teachers and developing and collaborations with beginning teachers through lesson study in mathematics.

Who will be leading the group?

Christine Packer is an NCETM accredited PD Lead, leading several Work Groups for different Maths Hubs and has previously worked with a number of non-mathematics specialist teachers to develop their knowledge of mathematics teaching on the Post Initial Teacher Education Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course.

Prior to joining the Univeristy of Chester Christine worked in a number of secondary schools as a mathematics teacher, and has also worked at the University of Manchester as a PGCE Secondary Mathematics tutor.  Christine is passionate about developing mathematics education in schools in order to increase the accessibility and inclusivity for all pupils. She is involved in a number of collaborative projects with the NCETM maths hubs along with colleagues from the University of Chester primary and secondary maths teams with the focus on developing mathematics teacher training in school.

Who is it for?

Participants in this community will be from the ITT sector; they should be directly involved in ITT with a responsibility for maths. It is expected that these participants will represent the various ITT providers across the hub region, so may include HEI, SCITT, and School Direct, and represent different phases of ITT including EYTS and QTS (primary and secondary). Some communities may extend their invitation to mentors (if this is the focus for the work).

Participants, supported by their institution, attend all scheduled meetings, feedback to relevant colleagues, and review their provision in light of the discussions. Participants work with their Community Lead for the equivalent of three days, and it is expected that the ITT provider will commit to the same person/people participating in this community throughout the year.

What are the intended outcomes?

Organisational policies and approaches

For ITT providers (those responsible for maths provision):

• curriculum design and supporting resources e.g. mentor guidance, ITTECF etc. includes reference to the principles of teaching for mastery.

For MHLM Teams:

• have a dynamic awareness of the local ITT provision and its school-based partnerships, which is used to develop and inform the hub offer in effectively supporting the transition from ITT to ECT and beyond.

Practice development

For ITT providers (those responsible for maths provision):

• review their practice and programme, aiming to ensure trainees have some understanding of observing, analysing and designing lessons informed by mastery principles
• mentor feedback to trainees is in line with teaching for mastery principles.

For MHLM Teams:

• have clear strategies to support regular collaboration and professional discussion of practices across ITT providers and ensure that this dialogue informs hub work and feeds into other partnerships as needed e.g. Teaching School Hubs.

Professional learning

For ITT providers (those responsible for maths provision): 

• have a deepening understanding of the principles of teaching for mastery, how they directly relate to classroom practice, and how trainees are prepared to develop effective maths teaching and learning across their award 
• a deepening understanding of the work of their local Maths Hub and the national Maths Hubs Network

For MHLM Teams:

• to learn from the research-informed practice and expert knowledge of experienced ITT providers to help inform the wider work of the hub
• to ensure that there is regular opportunity for collaboration and professional discussion, and to share expert knowledge from experienced ITT providers to help inform the wider work of the hub.

What is the cost?

Funded by DfE so participation is free for schools