This is a Work Group for Primary Teachers of Year 5 or Year 6 and will be based in Shrewsbury. Participants will develop specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics to enable them to understand, teach and support pupils.

Workshop 1 - Thursday 2nd March - 1000-1530 - The Shropshire Education and Conference Centre, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury

Workshop 2 - Friday 21st April - 1000-1530 - The Shropshire Education and Conference Centre, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury

Workshop 3 - Thursday 25th May - 1000-1530 - Shrewsbury Venue TBC

It has long been recognised that maths teaching is enhanced when the teachers are confident about the subject matter. Seabourne’s work over the period of 2004-06 found that Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) led to ‘improvements in subject knowledge, attitude, understanding and confidence’. Gibson, O'Toole, Dennison & Oliver’s (2013) report on SKE across all subjects in which SKE is offered finds that levels of subject knowledge and confidence in the subject are dramatically enhanced on completion of SKE.

There is a core set of materials for this programme. It is expected that these will be used by Cohort Leads as the basis of their programme. The core units for number are:

• Policy and impact on practice
• Number sense
• Additive reasoning
• Multiplicative reasoning
• Fractions.

Who will be leading the group?

Jo Makin-Isherwood and Julie Marston

Jo has been Primary Teaching for Mastery Lead for CODE Maths Hub, progressing as an Accredited NCETM PD Lead and Primary Specialist. She worked with Early Years, KS1 and KS2 classes, including mixed age classes, before becoming Maths Subject lead and Senior Leader, including extensive SEND experience.

Julie is a Primary Maths Teaching for Mastery Specialist and NCETM PD Accredited lead. Julie has a Masters in Primary Maths, specialising in Variation Theory, MaST qualification and excellent experience across the full range of primary classes.

Who is it for?

These SKTM programmes are designed for teachers who would like to further develop their specialist knowledge for teaching maths. They will be particularly relevant for teachers that have moved phases or teachers that have not received maths-specific training. This Work Group is for teachers of Year 5 or Year 6.

If you are an ECT we would recommend the ECT Work Groups rather than this Work Group.  Please see link to the ECT Work Group:  Hereford and Telford

What are the intended outcomes?

Pupil outcomes

Pupils will:

• have greater exposure to mathematical representations and structures and will start to be seen to use these independently in their work
• be able to explain their maths and their mathematical thinking using appropriate language
• demonstrate a positive attitude towards maths, being willing to have a go, persevere, and share their mathematical ideas.

Practice development:

• Teachers will review their practice as a result of the sessions and make specific adaptations to impact on pupil outcomes.

Professional learning

Teachers will enhance their maths subject knowledge with an emphasis on the key structures in each mathematical area covered e.g.

• understand the key elements that form number sense, including precise language, structures and representations
• understand the forms of addition and subtraction, including precise language, structures and representations
• understand the forms of multiplication and division, including precise language, structures and representations
• understand the forms of fractions, including precise language, structures and representations.

What will it involve?

Research and evidence are used to inform practice. Participants are encouraged to share these more widely in schools to support discussion on current policies and approaches.

All participants are expected to attend all workshops and complete school based tasks between the workshops. They will be asked to keep a reflection log for their own use and contribute to the national evaluation process.

As a result of this project, participants will not only be able to ‘do’ mathematics, but will also have the appropriate pedagogical knowledge to teach and support their pupils well. Participants will develop both their knowledge about maths and knowledge about the teaching of maths, developing better pedagogy and being aware of how pupils learn, and how to teach the content most effectively. Classroom practice will develop through participants’ engagement with school based tasks between workshops, trying out activities with pupils to promote understanding, reasoning and fluency

What is the cost?

Free