The Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education

(ACME) is an independent committee, based at the

Royal Society and operating under its auspices, that

aims to influence Government strategy and policies

with a view to improving the outcomes of

mathematics teaching and learning in England and

so secure a mathematically enabled population.

ACME was established by the Joint Mathematical

Council of the UK and the Royal Society, with the

explicit support of all major mathematics

organisations, and is funded by the Gatsby

Charitable Foundation. Details of ACME’s current

membership and activities are available at

www.acme-uk.org.

2010 Conference Report SummaryMathematical Needs – Implications for 5-19 Mathematics Education acme-uk.org April 2010

Professor Higgins opened the conference and introduced ACME’s Mathematical Needs project.The Mathematical Needs project looks at mathematical needs from two perspectives – from the top down by asking what the needs are of employers, Higher Education (HE), society and UK plc and from the bottom up by considering the mathematical needs of thelearners themselves. The Chair explained that this was an important time to be asking thesequestions, given the background of a difficult economic climate and ‘prioritising’ becoming the watchword for policy makers. Julia challenged the later speakers by reminding them that not only was it important to prioritise mathematics education but also to ensure thatsubject-specific CPD and training of specialist mathematics teachers was a priority withinmathematics education.

Julia foreshadowed the issue of professionalising the teaching workforce by raising InitialTeacher Training (ITT) entry requirements, by arguing that the relationship between degreeclassification and performance as a teacher was not as simple as one might imagine. A moreeffective way of improving classroom practice would be to focus on those currently in teaching through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) rooted in subject knowledge and subject-specific pedagogy, as advocated by the report of the DCSF/BIS Science andLearning Expert Group released earlier that week.

The Chair explained that ACME had recently raised the issue of post-16 participation inmathematics, in the context of compulsory education or training up to the age of 18 beingintroduced over the next few years. ACME feels that there should be an expectation that allstudents should study some form of mathematics that is appropriate to their mathematics needs up to the age of 18. Naturally this wouldn’t mean all students taking A-level mathematics,and so appropriate qualifications pathways would need to be developed and supported by the community.

Introduction from the ChairProfessor Dame Julia Higgins FRS FREng, Chair, ACME

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 1

The 2010 ACME conference was held on 2 March, bringing together over 150teachers, policymakers and other stakeholders to discuss ‘Mathematical Needs’.

The annual conference is a crucial part of ACME’s calendar. The conference is notjust an opportunity to hear from influential speakers, but to provide a forum forteachers and others to guide and inform ACME’s work.

This report gives an overview of the speeches given at the conference and asummary of the key messages that ACME took away from the many interestingworkshop sessions and discussions.

“I am more convinced than ever that having a mathematically fluent and confident population is beneficial on so many levels – for the individuals, for the employers, for the universities and for the economy as a whole.”

Professor Dame Julia Higgins

Diana Johnson MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)

The Minister started by affirming that the constant march ofadvancements in science, technology and engineering was driven bymathematics, and that without mathematics today’s young peoplewould struggle to become part of tomorrow’s workforce.

Ms Johnson noted that Key Stage 2 (KS2) achievements at Level 4 orabove had steadily increased year on year from 62% in 1997 to 79% in 2009, and that this was echoed in GCSE mathematics results, whichhad risen from 43% achieving grades A*-C to 57% last year.

She outlined three key areas of attention at the DCSF:

• The development of an engaging curriculum, building on therecommendations of the Rose Review to put numeracy at the heartof the primary strategy, with mathematical understanding as one of the six areas of learning that students will focus on in the newprimary curriculum.

• Extra support for those who fall behind – in the form of thenational roll out of the Every Child Counts programme to help30,000 six and seven-year-olds who are among the lowest achievers improve through one-to-one and small group tuition. The Children Schools and Families Bill contains specific measures to support every pupil aged 7-11 who has fallen behind nationalexpectations to receive the help they need in mathematics to get them back on track.

• Support for the mathematics teacher workforce by asking theTraining and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to pilot amentoring programme aimed specifically at newly qualifiedteachers, and by incentivizing mathematics graduates to go intoteaching. Over 2,900 mathematics trainees are expected to start ITT this year, exceeding the target by 8%.

The Minister also announced that £11.8m would be committed in 2010 / 11 to training 1,500 specialist mathematics teachers, as part ofthe ongoing implementation of the Williams Review recommendations.The Department aims to train 13,000 mathematics specialist teachersover 10 years, providing every primary school with access to amathematics specialist by 2019.

Diana felt that removal of externally marked assessment at the end of Key Stage 2 would be a step backwards for pupil learning inmathematics and school accountability. During the question and answer session, she explained that retaining KS2 tests in mathematicswas in part a political decision – parents want to know whether theirchildren are achieving and whether their school is performing.

The View from the Government

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 2

“The partnership between my Department

and ACME over the last few years has been

incredibly strong. It’s vital that if

Government policy is to continue to

improve in mathematics we have a critical

friend that works closely with us.”

Diana Johnson MP

Michael Gove MPShadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

The Shadow Secretary of State warned that there was a shift ofeconomic and intellectual power to countries in the Far East, with highinvestment in mathematics and science education in other countries. He argued that there was huge expertise, enthusiasm and commitmentfrom mathematics teachers, but that they were trapped in a system in decline.

Mr Gove announced that, if elected, a Conservative government would immediately overhaul the National Curriculum in time tointroduce changes from September 2011, with the aim of defining the knowledge that each child should master at each stage in theirdevelopment. The Rose Review recommendations would not be implemented.

He outlined that his aim would be to have a school examination systemwhich is the most rigorous in the world. Universities and learnedsocieties would be empowered in A-level design, with the quid pro quothat universities become more honest about which qualifications theyprefer students to have studied.

Michael proposed to roll out the linked pair of mathematics GCSEsimmediately if the pilot is successful, giving all children access to bothas well as making a commitment that the IGCSE would be available to all schools. Quoting the example of the Knowledge is Powerprogramme in the USA, he suggested that pay flexibility could be usedto allow extended teaching hours and a longer school day. While onthe subject of international comparisons, Michael talked of the lessonsthe UK could learn from primary education in Finland and Singapore.

In the interests of professionalising the workforce and increasing theprestige of the profession he proposed that the entry requirement forITT should be raised to a grade B in GCSE mathematics. Top graduatesin mathematics and science would be attracted into teaching with anoffer of having their student loan repaid for them while they remain in teaching.

The View from the Opposition

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 3

“I am convinced that improving maths education is

critical to the future prosperity of this country and

all its citizens. As information technology, computer

science, modelling and simulation become integral

to an ever-increasing group of industries, the

importance of maths grows and grows.”

Michael Gove MP

Carol Vorderman Chair, Review of Mathematics Education for the Conservative Party

Carol explained that during her high-profilecareer she had been approached by manypeople who were struggling with mathematics– many of them adults who did not have agood grounding in practical number work andarithmetic. There was an increasing tendencyfor jobs to involve analyzing data and manywere holding their hands up in horror.

She also referred to data that suggested that of the 20% of 11 year olds who failed to achieve Level 4 by the end of primaryschool only 10% go on to pass GCSE maths –it is important that these children are not left behind.

Dr Ben Goldacre Columnist, the Guardian and author, ‘Bad Science‘

Dr Goldacre argued that mathematics allowedpeople to contribute meaningfully to decisionson a policy level in our own jobs and our ownlives. An understanding of risk, particularly inthe context of critically evaluating mediareports on whether something is supposed toeither give you cancer or cure you of it, was avital life skill. Understanding sampling error –particularly in the context of attempting toderive meaning from small samples or the co-occurrence of fairly common phenomena –is not just part of a mathematical education,but also of meaningful citizenship.

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 4

PANEL SESSION

“Giving people the skills to move fluentlybetween different ways of expressing risk isextremely important.”

Dr Ben Goldacre

Professor Sir John HolmanDirector, National Science Learning Centre,University of York and Director, National STEMProgramme, Department for Children, Schoolsand Families

Sir John reflected on his experiences of teachingundergraduate chemistry at the University ofYork, where around a third of students wouldnot have studied A-level mathematics. Heargued that the increases in numbers studyingthe subject meant that universities could seizethe opportunity to build on the increasingawareness of the role of mathematics in STEMby being honest about which qualifications theyvalued. He also felt that students should beobliged to study some form of mathematicspost-16, with appropriate qualifications routesdeveloped to allow this.

“[Universities can give science undergraduates]all the extra classes they like in mathematics,but it’s the confidence that people have fromhaving studied mathematics over two yearsthat makes the difference – A-levelmathematics is a key enabling subject.”

Professor Sir John Holman

“We know how important it is to get a GCSEin Maths because often you can't go touniversity without it.”

Carol Vorderman

Dr Ben Goldacre

Richard WainerHead of Education and Skills, Confederation of Business Industry (CBI)

Richard provided an employer’s perspective onmathematical needs. For the vast majority ofCBI members functional numeracy skills wereof most concern and importance – there arevery few jobs where being numerate is not animportant requirement – but equallyemployees with the logical and problemsolving skills associated with mathematicalstudy are needed.

Richard supported the move towards post-16pathways that allow everyone to continue withmathematics, and felt that business had a roleto play in better articulating the importance ofmaths and numeracy skills, challenging thestigma that exists in society.

Mark KentAssistant Principal (Curriculum and Quality),King Edward VI College, Stourbridge

Mark felt that there was much to be positiveabout at the moment – more students arebeing turned on to mathematics and there is a‘quiet revolution’ in the way mathematics istaught to make it more inspiring.

However, he argued that there was a need tostop changing curricula and qualifications andtake stock – to allow teachers to teach. Healso highlighted the increasing tendencytowards fast-tracking students through examsone, two or even three years early without afollow on programme of study – this turnedchildren off mathematics, and in some caseseven allowed students to stop studyingmathematics in their final years at secondaryschool if they have already passed the exam.

Emma McCreaAdvanced Skills Teacher, Portslade CommunityCollege, Brighton

Emma argued that there were three things thatwere important in mathematics education – apositive and engaging experience, skills for lifeand work, and getting a good grade. However,there is currently too much focus on the last ofthese, which impacts on achieving the othertwo. A good grade should arise from the firsttwo aims and not be the starting point.

In order to improve the learning experience andenthuse learners, teachers need time to planand work together, with CPD to help placemathematics in real life contexts.

“From an employer’s perspective we do needto do much more to ensure our young peopleare well equipped for the modern workplace.”

Richard Wainer

“You know the sort of apocryphal story – youask a child what have you done in geographytoday? They say we looked at volcanoes. Whatdid you do in maths? We did page 36. That’schanged now – students are being enthusedand turned on to maths and that’s brilliant.”

Mark Kent

“Any flexibility we have in the curriculum to look at skills for life and work is unfortunatelycrushed by a drive to increase the percentage of students getting A*-C in maths.”

Emma McCrea

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 5

A summary of the headline messages from the workshops held in theafternoon is below. We would be pleased to hear from you if you have anyfurther thoughts on any of these issues, whether or not you were able toattend the conference.

Pilot of the Linked Pair of Mathematics GCSEs This workshop considered the upcoming pilot for the pair of GCSEMathematics and identified some potential issues. A few keysuggestions to improve the pilot were also brought forward.

• The new GCSEs require an important pedagogical change. CPD willbe crucial to allow teachers to manage this change successfully. Both pedagogy and subject knowledge will need to be included inthe CPD.

• Teachers will need additional resources, such as textbooks andschemes of work. Time is also needed to absorb the new material.

• Communication and information are key to making the pilot work.For example, schools participating in the pilot need to be able toexchange ideas and views. A national website, coordinated by the Awarding Bodies, which would allow a sharing of the resources for the pilot and include a discussion forum was one ofthe proposed solutions.

The Mathematical Needs of Higher Education (HE) and BusinessThis workshop related to part of ACME’s Mathematical Needs project,which aims to identify the mathematical needs of business and higher education.

• The importance of the mathematical needs project, together with subsequent action, was emphasised by the employers in the workshop.

• Mathematical needs should be defined in their own right and not be confused with qualifications. They might vary in the future withthe current shift in employment.

• Higher education institutions should be more honest about theirrequirements for courses. The lack of clear information fromuniversities about the mathematics that they really want from their new intake is not helping students.

• It is important to emphasise the fact that mathematics opens doors, both in higher education and employment.

• A key role lies with providing pupils access to the right informationthey need to make informed choices.

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 6

WORKSHOPS

The Mathematical Needs of the LearnersThis workshop also focused on part of ACME’s Mathematical Needsproject. Participants were asked to consider case studies of successfulmathematics teachers and identify any common themes which mighthint at the ‘mathematical needs’ of the learners:

• Some common themes in the teachers’ approaches were identifiedby workshop attendees : Control of the learning experience by thepupils – dialogue and trust between the students and the teacher –a common understanding of the big picture by the teacher and thelearners – building fluency in order to improve the mathematicalconfidence of the students – viewing mathematics as a creativesubject – the use of language as an empowering tool and a teaching ethos that is supported by the whole school.

• The group questioned the extent to which the ‘needs’ raised in the case studies were specifically just mathematical needs, asopposed to general pedagogical needs. It was suggested that amore appropriate focus ought to be on which of the generalpedagogical needs are most important in mathematics.

• Teachers need to understand uses of mathematics in the outside world in order to help students understand theirmathematical needs.

Primary Mathematics IssuesThe workshop considered current primary mathematics issues, such asAssessment of Pupil Progress (APP), the Report Card, the PrimaryCurriculum Review and the Mathematics Specialist (MaST) initiative.

• The principles behind APP are sound and there is potential toimprove teacher’s subject knowledge and pedagogical knowledgethrough focusing on individual pupils’ understanding. However theimplementation of APP has been interpreted in different ways. Thecurrent prevalent model of applying APP to all pupils in the class isvery time consuming and many teachers are very worried about theheavy work load it entails.

• The new primary curriculum seems to have been received positivelyby many teachers, but with apprehension about how it will beimplemented. The phasing out of the Primary National Strategies iswelcomed by teachers who look forward to more freedom, but asource of anxiety to others who rely on the strategies for support.

• The announcement by Michael Gove that he would not implementthe Rose Review was viewed as being disappointing by the group,many of whom commented on the volume of time and money thathad already been committed to the development and roll-out.

• Some of the statements emanating out of opposition politicians onprimary mathematics and ‘back to basics’ were worrying members ofthe workshop. ACME was strongly encouraged to engage withthose making some of these statements to understand their motivesand work with them to use research findings to inform policy.

• Effective CPD to improve subject knowledge is key to ensuring thatteachers are able to deal with constant change in their environment.

• Workshop members reported problems of implementation, due torecruitment problems and lack of standardisation from providers, inthe MaST courses.

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 7

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 8

Funding Issues in FurtherEducation (FE) CollegesThis workshop considered a briefing paper on a potential problem withfunding in FE:

• The workshop attendees agreed that the new funding arrangementsin FE Colleges were having a detrimental effect on the choice ofprogramme for some students seeking to start on 5 AS-Levelsubjects.

• It was suggested that mathematics in FE should be re-categorised in order to obtain the same funding level as science.

• Another possible solution could be to remove the cap for A-levelcombinations involving mathematics.

• It was generally agreed that a review of the disparity between the funding of schools and the funding of FE colleges is needed.

Level 3 MathematicsPathwaysThis workshop considered the pathways model for Level 3 mathematicsproposed by ACME in its paper to provoke discussion published inautumn 2009:

• The majority of the workshop attendees supported compulsion tostudy mathematics post-16 in some form or another.

• Creating a need for mathematics post-16, by making coursesrelevant and interesting will be key to the success of such aninitiative. The pathways would need to develop the skills thestudents need; this relevance has to be understood by the students themselves.

• The pathways would need to be created with some input from the HE and employers, which relates to ACME’s mathematical needs project.

• The emphasis has to be on the experience the pathways give thestudents. There cannot solely be a focus on the qualifications andthe framework.

Teacher AssessmentThis workshop looked at the current initiatives in terms of teacherassessment and discussed how it would be possible to move towards amodel with a greater role for teachers and how to help reduce thenegative consequences of high-stakes testing on the teaching ofmathematics.

• CPD is key in obtaining more robust teacher assessments. It isimportant to work with the teachers on the assessment processes as it can also help their teaching methods.

• The Report Card was viewed as being too complicated – the overall grade was felt to be unlikely to remove current problemswith KS2 tests.

• It was suggested that the APP process was needlessly complicatedand often misunderstood. Allowing schools to interpret APP in a way that suits their working methods, given they align with theoverall purpose, might make the implementation and managementof the initiative more efficient.

• Moderation in teacher assessment is important, not only forstandardisation but also for CPD purposes. Moderation should betreated as an ongoing conversation rather than be seen as a finalstandardisation.

DES

1858

2010 CONFERENCE REPORT SUMMARY 9

Teaching the Shakespeare of MathsProfessor Marcus du Sautoy OBECharles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Scienceand Professor of Mathematics, University of Oxford

Anchoring the end of the day, Professor du Sautoy highlighted some of the areas within mathematics which he believes are critical if we are to engage and enthuse students within schools.Marcus argued that it was important to draw out the ‘stories’ ofmathematics alongside practicing techniques in order to inspire them in the subject, in the same way that children read Shakespeare in secondary school – perhaps only superficially at first, but developing their understanding and appreciation of the stories as they continue their studies.

For further information about the Advisory Committee onMathematics Education:

ACMEThe Royal Society6-9 Carlton House TerraceLondon SW1Y 5AGtel: +44 (0)20 7451 2574email: acme@royalsociety.orgwww.acme-uk.org

One of the big themes in mathematics is the power of maths as a language to take you

into new worlds. I wish every child could go home and say 'Hey Mum, I saw a shape in

4 dimensions today' – it's something quite magical.”

Professor Marcus du Sautoy

KEYNOTE ADDRESS