Jane Jones HMI

The Product of Testing Times Primary

NAMA conference 2007

2005-06 primary inspection findings: where subject is a strength• Well-planned and resourced lessons

• High expectations of behaviour and work-rate positive attitudes to learning mathematics and confidence

• Teachers welcome and benefit from CPD.

• Some good use of assessment, eg analysis of test papers curriculum planning and grouping arrangements and systems for recording pupils’ progress.

• Improving focus on solving real-life problems and pupils explaining methods (but still narrow interpretation of UAM)

• Most subject leaders are effective practitioners who support and guide colleagues well.

2005-06 primary inspection findings: where

subject has weaknesses or issues • Teachers not ensuring all pupils participate

checking of understanding not an ongoing process. Assessment remains a weaker feature of teaching.

• Use of IWBs improving but pupils lack opportunities to use them interactively. Limited ICT otherwise.

• Overuse of worksheets dominates some pupils’ experience and reflects emphasis on skills rather understanding.

• Cross-curricular numeracy links often missed.• Informal mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation

mean inconsistencies in practice are not identified and addressed

Strengths in UAM• Planning of activities to support UAM particularly in

reasoning and in communicating ideas and solutions.• Practical approaches particularly in KS1 and FS• Lots of problems set in real-life contexts and pupils

choosing methods of solution.• Increased emphasis on pupils explaining their

thinking, though not always why particular approach adopted

• Occasional themed days/focused activities providing rich opportunities to solve complex or unusual problems, sometimes in teams.

Weaknesses and barriers in UAM: primary

• Planning and assessment systems that pay little attention to UAM. Too little guidance for staff

• A dominance of worksheets over-emphasis of skills at expense of developing understanding and reasoning

• A lack of opportunity to communicate orally• Too few connections made with other subjects • Insufficient challenge for the most able pupils

Evidence sort for 2006-07 mathematics inspections

Special focus on enjoyment and understanding• Pupils know the difference between being able to do

something and understanding it.• Inspectors explore pupils’ understanding through

discussion about : proof, through statements on odd and even or

consecutive numbers mathematical connections

given photograph, estimating crowd capacity

Pupils’ enjoyment – findings so far• Pupils know what they enjoy: practical activities,

ICT, working in groups and pairs, but their experience of these aspects varies widely between teachers (and key stages) within the same school

• Pupils know what they receive: their description of typical lessons shows little variation – they seem to accept this is what teaching and learning in mathematics should be like. Can we challenge this expectation?

• Pupils are generally loyal to their teachers and appreciate all the extra revision and booster classes

Issue: boosting performance in tests and examinations

• There is an increasing emphasis (dependence?) in schools on revision classes, intervention and booster strategies to raise test and examination performance.

Schools need to consider What benefits does this bring and are there any drawbacks?

Preparing pupils for tests: what difference might good use of subject knowledge make?

• I suggest: subject knowledge should be used in ways that equip pupils for the assessment as well as for the next stage of their mathematical journey.

• The best preparation for tests has to be good teaching and learning everyday and over time, but meanwhile what about:– Discussions that focus on modelling thinking rather

than ‘watch me – this is how you do it’ – Questions and activities of varying difficulty and

style that include some set in unusual contexts and/or that draw on more than one area of mathematics

– Opportunities for pupils to be the ‘experts’ – hot seating; preparation of guides for others; marking own and others’ work in depth using mark schemes/ criteria, …….

A closing thought

How important is teachers’ subject knowledge?• Is it essential?• Is it desirable?• Is it not necessary? (as long as the teacher can do

whatever the pupils will need to do in their tests)– If so, let’s stop now!

• How can each of us in our professional roles promote the effective use of subject knowledge in teaching and learning?