Workshop dates:

W̶o̶r̶k̶s̶h̶o̶p̶ 1̶ -̶ W̶e̶d̶n̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y̶ 6̶t̶h̶ D̶e̶c̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ 2̶0̶2̶3̶ -̶ 1̶3̶1̶5̶-̶1̶6̶0̶0̶ -̶ O̶n̶l̶i̶n̶e̶

Workshop 1 - Wednesday 24th January 2023 - 1315-1600 - Online

Workshop 2 - Wednesday 28th February 2024 - 1315-1600 - Online

Workshop 3 - Wednesday 8th May 2024 - 1315-1600 - Online

Workshop 4 - Wednesday 26th June 2024 - 1315-1600 - Online

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

This Work Group complements the AMSP’s wider professional development offer by providing a sustained collaborative environment for experienced A level Maths teachers to explore their classroom practice. It is designed to explore and 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.

The project, developed and provided in partnership with the AMSP, will explore aspects of A level Maths, giving teachers knowledge of pedagogic theory that has a direct impact in the classroom.

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. They will:

• work with the Work Group lead and other participants to explore A level Maths pedagogical themes
• design classroom activities collaboratively to put pedagogic theories and strategies into practice
• trial these activities own their classrooms, focusing on evaluating impact and student responses
• share, compare and reflect on their classroom experiences with other members of the Work Group.

Participants will be encouraged to share ideas related to the Work Group through an online collaborative environment, and to share ideas and activities from the Work Group with departmental colleagues.

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 and Gayle Scot

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.

Gayle is a Level 3 NCETM Accredited PD Lead and Post-16 Lead for SHaW Maths Hub. She has taught A level Maths and A level Further Maths for over 20 years and is an experienced subject mentor for ITT maths trainees.

Who is it for?

The target group of schools/colleges/departments are those which want to develop one or more aspects of their A level pedagogy. 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:

• First year: attending all Work Group sessions and engaging with and completing activities between Work Group sessions
• Following year: continuing to explore ideas, sharing experiences with others, and helping to shape their schools’/colleges’ approach to teaching A level Maths.

What are the intended 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.

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.

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.

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