A Message from Janine Allen, Maths Hub Lead

As we embark on an exciting term, it's hard to believe we are just 51 days away from our much-anticipated 10-year celebratory conference! This autumn term saw the launch of 77 work groups, with an additional 11 commencing this month. It's fantastic to see over 1,100 participants engaging in continuous professional development, sharing innovative ideas and exploring the maths curriculum in greater depth. The positive feedback we've received highlights the value of collaboration and reflection on teaching approaches.

This term, our AMHLs will be joining our LLME for some of their sessions, where they'll have the opportunity to speak with participants about their experiences. They'll also be gathering further evidence on the impactful work of the maths hubs in schools, which is incredibly encouraging.

It was particularly a pleasure to read about John Westwell's MBE recognition for his hard work as the Director for System Leadership at NCETM. His insights continually inspire me in my role as Maths Hub Lead, as we work towards reaching teachers in classrooms and ensuring all students have the best chance to learn. Here's to a productive term ahead and the countdown to our conference - look forward to seeing you there

Janine

Celebrating 10 Years of the Maths Hubs Programme

Hopefully by now you will have booked your place to join us at our conference, United Through Numbers: A Decade of Strong Bonds and Bright Futures in Kent and Medway, if not, spaces are filling fast so don't delay, book you place today!

We're excited to share that in addition to our fabulous keynotes we will also have inputs from Alice Earnshaw on Dyscalculia: Spotting the signs and what to do about it as well as Oak National Academy.

LLME Training Programmes

In this newsletter, we feature insights from three of our LLME who have engaged in a range of the maths professional development opportunities offered by NCETM. Catherine Hampton and Adrienne Bradshaw are primary teachers, Peter Atkinson is a secondary teacher.

Catherine’s training as a mastery specialist stemmed from her role as a Specialist Leader for Mathematics. Through previous engagements with the NCETM, including attending conferences and participating in sponsored training focusing on outdoor play, she was introduced to effective pedagogies and resources that she deemed beneficial for her pupils. The mastery specialist training has had a profound impact on her teaching practice; she experienced significant growth in her subject knowledge and pedagogical techniques, particularly regarding progression in mathematical concepts such as fractions and multiplication.

Participating in the SDL programme has allowed her to further develop her understanding and widen her focus beyond solely mathematics teaching. This particular training equips her to work collaboratively with various leadership teams and ensures that her teaching methodologies are consistently evolving.

Throughout this journey, Catherine has been consistently impressed by the holistic approach the training provides. It is not merely about maths; rather, it is about building a foundation that incorporates vocabulary progression, resource utilisation, and the importance of small steps in her teaching practices. This depth of understanding has been crucial in creating an effective learning environment for the pupils at Cecil Road.

When asked why he originally trained as a secondary mastery specialist, Pete shared that his involvement in the Mathematical Thinking for GCSE work group in 2019 truly opened his eyes to innovative ways of teaching maths. He was keen to enhance not only his own subject knowledge but also to support others in their teaching practices. Through the Secondary Mastery Specialist programme and his recent participation in the School Development Lead Programme, Pete aims to aid senior leaders in effectively supporting their maths departments.

He described his experiences over the past five years as some of the most enriching professional development he has undertaken, particularly enjoying the collaborative aspect of sharing ideas with fellow educators. Pete emphasised the importance of continually evolving one's teaching practice, citing the impactful use of variation theory and concrete pictorial representations in the classroom. His reflections highlight a key theme: that truly effective practices are rooted in consistent innovation, which not only benefits him as a teacher but also significantly enhances student learning outcomes.

As both a Maths subject leader and a passionate advocate for professional development, Adrienne initially trained as a PD Lead to enhance her ability to support staff in improving maths teaching and, ultimately, pupil outcomes. With nearly two decades of mentoring experience, the PD course felt like a natural progression in her journey. She has since taken this training to lead workshops within her Trust and her involvement with the Maths Hub has motivated her to pursue her NPQLTD. This journey led Adrienne to roles such as Teaching and Learning Lead, where she has been able to support fellow subject leads effectively.

Participating in the SD Lead programme has enriched her understanding of implementing meaningful change within schools. It's been invaluable in shaping her approach to coaching and collaborating with colleagues, particularly as she draws from evidence-based research during discussions with school leaders.

All three of our LLME wholeheartedly encourage other teachers to explore the diverse and impactful training programmes offered by the Maths Hub. The fully-funded opportunities provide not only essential skills for leading maths initiatives but also foster a collaborative spirit, sharing innovative ideas which lead to improved outcomes for students.

Full details, including commitment from applicants and schools is available on the NCETM website, where applications must also be submitted by Friday 15th March, 5pm

What if I told you maths is about play?

Thank you to Tommy Blanche from Mundella Primary School who has shared his brilliant TED Talk, it's a great example of having a vision for mathematics. Make sure you check it out!

Spotlight on the Secondary Subject Leadership Community

Now in its fourth year, this community has grown from a small community of half a dozen heads of department to three separate groups (West Kent, East Kent & Special Schools) comprising a total of more than forty participating leaders of maths.

Leaders appreciate the time and space to collaborate with their peers. Each workshop includes an opportunity to see some maths teaching in action at the host school which always kicks off some rich conversations. Each of the three groups consists of a powerful mix of very experienced heads of department, those completely new to the role and everywhere in between.

This year we have a particular focus on problem solving. During the first session there was debate about what “problem solving” means, and an exploration of the approach to problem solving in several different curricula. This theme will continue for the remaining days this year, with each session including time for all participants to reflect on resulting next steps for their own department and be supported in their action planning process.

Feedback from participants at the end of last year included:

"Really useful discussions with others & sharing ideas. Lots of great resources & ideas to take back & digest."

"Joining this community has highly impacted my decisions about curriculum planning and assessment - I have enjoyed the materials shared based on research principles and the discussions around the common themes that I want to embed into my curriculum."

For some heads of department this community has been their or their school’s first involvement with Maths Hubs programmes, with a number finding it a useful stepping stone towards their department joining our Teaching for Mastery programme.

NCETM Webinar for senior leaders - Implementing Maths Teaching for Mastery

The recording link for the 30-minute webinar from 2 December is available for hubs to share. The webinar was aimed at leaders, to ensure they better understand:

What teaching for mastery in maths is and why is it needed
How a Work Group functions and why it’s a successful model
Barriers to implementation and how senior leaders can help

Post-16

We wanted to highlight our Post-16 offer that sits within our Secondary offer. We work in collaboration with AMSP to offer to offer a high-quality suite of professional development courses, classroom resources, information and guidance and student enrichment activities that support student progression to level 3 maths. Both institutions provide this support free to all state-funded schools in England.

Maths Hubs:

Maths Hub Leads work with schools and teachers in their hub area and offer work groups and other CPD programmes for teachers of post-16 maths.
Work groups offer longer-term ongoing professional development for schools and institutions seeking to develop their teachers of A level and Core Maths.
Search for the work groups on the Kent and Medway Maths Hub website, https://www.kandmmathshub.org/, for full information.

AMSP:

Area Coordinators to work with local schools and colleges.
Core Maths Specialist Leads providing bespoke Core Maths support to schools and colleges.
National and local professional development opportunities for teachers, including for GCSE, A level, Further Maths and Core Maths.
National and local enrichment opportunities for students from years 7 – 13, including Maths Feasts for year 10, Core Maths support, Further Maths support and enrichment events fto support those progressing to STEM degrees.

Visit https://amsp.org.uk/ for full information.

We are particularly interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by Maths Departments offering maths at Post-16, specifically Core Maths, if you'd be willing to share your experience please get in touch via info@kandmmathshub.org.uk

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