What is the average number of questions answered by a student in your classroom? How about questions asked? This workshop explores how to supercharge student discussion using small-group work. Participants will come away with both an overview of research as well as routines to transform classroom dialogue the very next day. The practices are based on literature by Jo Boaler, Peter Liljhedal, Elizabeth G. Cohen and Rachel Loten, alongside Adam's Educator project as a Fulbright Teacher in the United States.

Recent reports suggest that some talented mathematicians lose interest in maths at Key Stage 3, stating "higher-attaining students are too often deprived of novelty, challenge and stretch". As teachers we're right to feel defensive about statements like this. At my school, and many others, we work incredibly hard to ensure that all of our students experience plenty of challenge. This is reflected in high levels of student engagement, and in excellent GCSE results. In this workshop I will share what we do in our curriculum, lessons and assessments at Key Stage 3, particularly with regard to challenge.

Maths is not cool. Not in the traditional sense, at least. Lots of young people mask their enthusiasm for maths: they don’t ask questions, don’t engage in mathematical discussions and don’t look for opportunities to do more. So often this holds them back from achieving their full potential.

We know that language is important in our subject, but did you know just how important it was?
In this session, we will explore how significant language is in the teaching of our subject area, before moving on to reflect on a number of different, and effective, approaches to develop Mathematical language in the classroom.
This is a practical session, with plenty of discussion, and many takeaway ideas to implement in the classroom!

Anyone who loves mathematics understands the importance of prime numbers. When you look at an integer do you “see” it decomposing into its prime factors in front of your eyes? If you can (or at least if you can get there), what does that let you do? Is there a value as a mathematician?
This workshop is based on the premise that there is great value. Having such a tool is powerful. But do we make sure children have it? What evidence do we have? How can we improve our teaching of this concept? How can we exploit fluency with prime factors?

The Curriculum and Assessment Review highlights problem-solving and reasoning as essential for learners at every age and stage - but do we have a shared understanding of what problem solving actually is?
Join Dr Ed Southall from Maths Horizons to explore the characteristics of problem solving and reasoning tasks, and utilise them to develop more accessible activities for all learners.

In this event we’ll explore what distinguishes learners who achieved one grade from those performing at the next grade.
Using AQA GCSE performance data, we’ve identified the specific questions that have previously made the greatest difference to learner outcomes, as well as any patterns that emerged from these items.
We’ll highlight the key questions that differentiate between learners working at Grade n to a Grade n +1, share insights from our examiners, and introduce the resources that can help your learner's progress.

In this session we’ll dive into performance data from A-level papers to uncover the topic areas that most commonly hold students back. You’ll discover practical ways to target teaching more effectively, strengthen students’ exam technique, and boost overall attainment. Although we’ll be using AQA data, the insights, strategies and themes apply across all exam boards. So, no matter what specification you teach, you’ll leave with actionable ideas you can use straight away in the classroom.

In this session Greg & Anna will explore the exam board agnostic ‘Focus on success: Problem solving’ pack. This resource supports teachers in delivering problem-solving strategies key to GCSE success. We’ll also consider strategies to embed problem-solving techniques in day-to-day teaching.

The Secondary team at NCETM produced, in recent years, a fabulous set of resources: the Checkpoints. This workshop is a celebration of some favourite tasks from those resources.

The chosen tasks have been selected for several different reasons:
-    Generating fantastic discussion between children
-    Rich information for the teacher about children’s understanding
-    Prompting thinking about how we typically approach some mathematical ideas
-    Use as a task in a professional development programme or departmental collaboration

Whether you are familiar with Checkpoints or you have never heard of them, this workshop aims to inspire many different uses for these expertly designed tasks.

In this workshop we will participate together in a range of activities to take away and use centred around the cube. This common 3D shape offers many opportunities to engage at a range of levels in various branches of mathematics including combinatorics, geometry, probability and for the mathematically adventurous, 4D. All utilising at most GCSE mathematical skills.

I firmly believe that the A-level Mathematics statistics textbooks have become increasingly outdated in recent years, failing to keep pace with the evolution of examination questions. The explanations often lack sufficient depth, making effective exam preparation a considerable challenge. In this workshop, I will explore a potential restructuring of the teaching sequence across chapters, discuss alternative approaches to key topics, and examine the types of examination questions for which we must adequately prepare our students.

Data literacy is an increasingly important aspect of mathematical study. In this session we will examine the statistical knowledge that taught in primary schools, and how we might build on that to introduce and reinforce important statistical concepts at KS3.

Step into a 16th-century classroom with Robert Recorde, the mathematician who introduced the equals sign. His carefully sequenced examples anticipate modern Variation Theory, building understanding of powers, roots, algebraic manipulation, and equations. In this hands-on workshop, delegates will explore Recorde’s original sequences and take away ready-to-use classroom tasks that expose structure, prevent misconceptions, and strengthen symbol sense. See how a 450-year-old commercial arithmetic manual can inspire modern teaching and provide practical strategies for designing examples that deepen conceptual understanding and boost student confidence in algebra.