Using the PMC and the SSE process to improve learning and teaching in Maths

So the staff have collaboratively decided to use the SSE process to become more familiar with the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum (PMC), while also aiming to improve learning and teaching in Maths.... but what should you do next?

So the first question I would be asking is how visible are these five key pedagogies in individual and collective practice currently?

Which are more visible?

Which are less visible?

Which of these would you prioritise? 

Meeting the needs

The Inspectorate published a guidance document entitled Looking at Mathematics Draft Guide for Primary Schools in January 2023. While this predated the publication of the Primary Maths Curriculum, which came later in 2023, it does make some good points that are still very relevant now, for example:

It is advisable to focus on one or two areas for improvement rather than taking on too many at one time. This will facilitate incremental, ongoing self-review and improvement planning that is manageable for teachers and meaningful for pupils.

More recently, I attended a very informative webinar on SSE hosted by Oide, where they repeatedly emphasised that keeping the process manageable and impactful is an essential element of SSE. We were recommended to "ensure the area is sufficiently broad to make a real difference to learning and teaching, but not too broad"

With this in mind, I have put together a series of presentations, one for each of the five key pedagogical practices:

1. Emphasising mathematical modeling

2. Promoting maths talk

3. Encouraging playfulness 

4. Using cognitively challenging tasks [link coming in 2025]

5. Fostering productive disposition [link coming in 2025]

Click on each of the links above to be brought directly to a presentation which outlines a number of possible goals and actions, which I believe ARE manageable and which I believe have the potential to make a REAL difference to learning and teaching in maths.

Please note that these suggestions come from me, my practices, my experiences .... from things I have done, from positive impacts that I have observed and from what I have learnt as a result of implementing these practices. 

I cannot guarantee that they will have the same impact in all school contexts. But I share them with you here, so that you may consider and decide for yourself if they are worthy of inclusion as part of your whole school improvement plan for the learning and teaching of maths.

Please feel free to come back to me with any questions and feedback: claire.primarycpd@gmail.com

Saving or Downloading: 

If you wish to save your own copy of these, you can:

1. Save a copy to your own Google Drive: Go to File > Make a copy > Entire Presentation > My Drive (or choose alternative folder/location)

2. Download a copy to your device e.g. to open/present/edit with Microsoft PowerPoint: Go to File > Download > Microsoft PowerPoint. The file should then be located in your Downloads folder.