News Spring 2024

A Message from Janine Allen, Maths Hub Lead

This term it has been a real privilege to work with teachers and leaders across the region. Our 86 work groups are providing professional development and collaboration opportunities to over 770 teachers and TAs.

More excitingly I’ve had the opportunity to work with Y4 and Y5 pupils in the pilot phase of Mastering Number at Key Stage 2, alongside one of the lead evaluators of the programme.

The spring term is a really exciting time - spring is when we start to see nature’s new beginnings and it’s a busy time for us planning the next year of our professional development offer. Our newsletter is an opportunity to celebrate our learning as well as offer you an insight into the upcoming opportunities for 24/25.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter and a restful break from all at Kent and Medway Maths Hub!

LLME Day

Earlier this term we spent a great day with our LLME (Local leaders of Maths Education). It's always exciting to get the whole team together to explore new ideas and share thinking. A key focus of the day was to reflect upon the Essence of Teaching for Mastery and what this looks like in the Maths culture of both our LLME schools and in the schools which are currently on a teaching for Mastery Pathway. This led to some lively discussion and we wanted to share with you some of the questions we tackled...

Principle: Mathematics teaching for mastery assumes everyone can learn and enjoy mathematics.

How can we tell that everyone in our school is enjoying mathematics? What does that look like in classrooms? What does that look like around the school? Is there a buzz around Maths?

Principle: Mathematical learning behaviours are developed such that pupils focus and engage fully as learners who reason and seek to make connections.

When we speak to the children are they making the connections between mathematics concepts? Do the children find different ways to solve problems thinking carefully about what they already know and how to use this knowledge?

Principle: Teachers continually develop their specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics, working collaboratively to refine and improve their teaching.

Is the professional development for Maths in our schools giving the opportunity to dive deeper into our know knowledge of Mathematical concepts as well as the opportunity to plan with each other to develop everyone's teaching?

Principle: Curriculum design ensures a coherent and detailed sequence of essential content to support sustained progression over time.Looking at the curriculum design in school are teachers aware of the clear links between year groups? Does this support the knowledge in supporting our pupils making links to prior knowledge?

Do these questions resonate with you? Want to know more about these principles? We are currently recruiting schools to our Teaching for Mastery pathway for 24/25 as well passionate teachers to join our team of LLME, could this be you? Why not get in touch today!

Apply to be an LLME

Apply for Primary Teaching for Mastery

Apply for Secondary Teaching for Mastery

Secondary Teaching For Mastery Development

Do you want to find out more about Teaching for Mastery? Or maybe you want to see it in action? Then why not do just that...

We are running a number of exciting sessions in the coming weeks aimed to tell you everything you need to know so come along and join us!

Online Briefings

Join our Assistant Maths Hub Lead (Gareth Shadick) and Head of Department Advocate (Gavin Yates, The Whitstable School) to find out about the benefits of joining our Teaching for Mastery, Development Work Groups in 2024/25, including details of the funding available to your school to support your involvement. Click the links below to register for your preferred date.

17th April 9th May 21st May 12th June 26th June

Showcase lesson at The Malling School

Join us to observe one of our Secondary Mastery Specialists (Pete Atkinson) teach a lesson. The morning will include discussion about the lesson, information about our teaching for mastery programme and Q&A with Gareth Shadick (Assistant Maths Hub Lead)

Wednesday 24th April

8.45am- 11.15am

Open classroom at the Whitstable School

Join our Head of Dept. Advocate Gavin Yates at his school, to learn about our teaching for mastery programme and drop-in to some lessons. The morning will include discussion and Q&A with Gavin & Gareth Shadick (Assistant Maths Hub Lead).

Thursday 2nd May

9.30am – 12.00pm

Secondary Teaching for Mastery Sustaining

If your school has previously been on the Teaching for Mastery pathway and you would like to come back to sustaining, come along and join our Assistant Maths Hub Lead (Gareth Shadick) to learn about the range of Work Groups on offer to eligible schools in 2024/25. Your school is eligible if it has ever engaged with our Teaching for Mastery programme as a Development school or hosted a Secondary Mastery Specialist. If you are not sure about your eligibility, please get in touch.

20/5/24 5/6/24 11/6/24 25/6/24 1/7/24

ITT Primary Teaching for Mastery live

For mentors, tutors and trainees. Come and join us to explore and experience teaching for mastery and investigate how to build and support mathematics teaching & learning. The session will feature an introduction to Teaching for Mastery and the 5 Big Ideas and an opportunity to see a live KS2 lesson led by a mastery specialist and

22/5/24 Coxheath Primary School

We're excited to share...

The NCETM released the new KS4 PD materials back in February. Understanding and applying numerical structure is the first in a series of themes, with ideas for collaborative CPD and questions to use with students. We look forward to seeing the remaining themes as they are released later this year.

Download here

The Leigh Institute

Kent and Medway Maths Hub is proud to be a founding member of The Leigh Institute, providing a comprehensive offer of professional development opportunities across our region.

The Leigh Institute brings together the work of the following organisations; enhancing the offer of each by ensuring opportunities for collaboration and mutual support

KMT (Kent & Medway Training) Kent & Medway Maths Hub

Thames Gateway Teaching School LAT Apprenticeships

It is our hope that by aligning these 4 fantastic offers we will together shape a research informed professional development offer which meets the emerging needs of our sector. Our shared ambition for all our learners is underpinned by a relentless focus on mutual support and collaboration. This enables all our partners to access an offer they can trust providing pathways for the success of all their staff.

Please view our booklet which provides an introduction to our offer.

News from elsewhere....

Axiom Maths

Kent Early Years Stronger Practice Hub