In order for our pupils to progress at pace and have success in mathematics, we need to teach responsively. This means that we need to be sure of what pupils know (and don’t know) and we need to modify our teaching accordingly. Teaching responsively is more than formative assessment. It’s a cycle involving planning, gathering data, making decisions and adapting. It can happen “in the moment” or it can happen over a series of lessons. In this session, we will discuss techniques that will help us tell what pupils have and haven’t learnt and - importantly - we will discuss the moves we can make in response.

Are you considering refreshing your BGE provision? Does the enormity of the development work involved give you sleepless nights? Should you obliterate the budget to buy books and make course plans? Should you mine the internet for banks of lessons and worksheets? Stop! I think I have found a solution. An ‘off-the-shelf’ solution that requires minimal development work. Over the last decade, I have worked on, led, and implemented many iterations of BGE curricula; some have been good, and others have been page numbers from a textbook. Creating something bespoke is ideally what every department wants, but the challenges of workload, time and quality are the barriers we all face in making this a reality. In this session, I offer a solution to the BGE conundrum. A solution that is ready to use. A solution with curriculum coherence at its core. A solution that smooths the transition from BGE to Senior Phase. A solution that frees up collegiate time to be spent on perfecting our craft in the classroom. A solution that provides motivation for all pupils.

In this session, we will explore why tasks play a vital role in shaping pupils' learning and their perceptions of mathematics.  We will look at some frameworks for mathematical task design, look at what makes a “good task” and encounter many examples and ideas to take away to use in the classroom.

How can we truly personalise the learning of our students? Ideally, we meet the diverse needs of mixed-ability classes, fill the particular gaps each student has prior to starting National courses and support those who need extra instruction as the year unfolds. This session looks at the journey one school has taken, and the ways Tutor has been incorporated into existing practice, to enable students to take personal responsibility for their learning.