Messages from Ofsted
Ofsted expects …
… teachers to use their subject and pedagogical
expertise to provide high quality teaching and
curricular experiences in order to secure the best
possible learning and outcomes for their pupils.
The NC: A Mastery Curriculum…
• An expectation that all pupils can and will achieve.
• The large majority of pupils progress through the curriculum
content at the same pace. Differentiation emphasises deep
knowledge and individual support/intervention.
• Teaching is underpinned by methodical curriculum design, with
units of work that focus in depth on key topics. Lessons and
resources are crafted carefully to foster deep conceptual and
procedural knowledge.
• Practice and consolidation play a central role. Well-designed
variation builds fluency and understanding of underlying
mathematical concepts in tandem.
• Teachers use precise questioning to check conceptual and
procedural knowledge. They assess in lessons to identify who
requires intervention so that all pupils keep up.
The NC: A Mastery Curriculum…
• A mastery curriculum often involves whole-class teaching, with
all pupils being taught the same concepts at the same time.
Small-group work typically involves challenge through greater
depth for the ‘rapid graspers’ and support with grasping
concepts and methods for pupils who have more difficulty.
• ‘Intelligent practice’ through tasks and exercises usually
concentrates on the same topic/method/concept but varies in
how the questions are presented, often in ways that expose the
underlying concept or mathematical structure, and makes pupils
think deeply for themselves.
Taken from the NCETM Developing Mastery in Mathematics Oct 2014
What do you think inspectors expect to see
in relation to mathematics teaching?
… would it be different where schools
are teaching for mastery?
Are any of the points in conflict with teaching
for mastery?
”It’s brilliant that acceleration in
maths is out and depth is in!”
Jane Jones
Ofsted’s National Lead for Mathematics
Opportunities
The new National Curriculum:
• captures, in its aims, the best mathematical education for
all pupils;
• represents greater ambition for all pupils, especially the
lower attainers;
• emphasises depth over acceleration;
• gives us the chance to think afresh about progression, the
wider aims and conceptual links;
• provides a context for teachers and schools to learn from
each other and together.
”Acknowledge the challenges
then set about overcoming
them.”
Jane Jones
Ofsted’s National Lead for Mathematics
Challenges
• Teachers’ subject expertise:
– ‘new’ mathematics content
– the NC aims: how to teach reasoning, problem solving for
all/the ‘rapid graspers’; the meaning of fluency
• Expectations and progression:
– gaps between where pupils are now and the programme of
study they are learning/due to learn
– higher demand, especially for lower attainers and SEN
– differentiation; challenge for the ‘rapid graspers’
• Teachers’ worries about demonstrating pupils’ progress:
– in lessons
– for performance management/inspection
More challenges
• Assessment without NC levels, and the quality of national
assessments
• Transition between: schools, key stages, one year to the next,
one lesson to the next, one mathematical idea to the next, …
• Capacity:
– recruitment and retention of suitably qualified staff and
subject leaders
– availability of local/in-school expert help
“In the past differentiation was often
achieved by a teacher preparing different
activities or worksheets for different
groups of pupils. Now there are other
ways, consistent with the new curriculum
and a mastery approach, of catering for
different attainment levels within a
classroom.”
Jane Jones
Ofsted’s National Lead for Mathematics
Challenge through depth
1. Work out
(999 – 99 + 9) ÷ 9
Can you do it another way?
2. P, Q, R, S and T represent single digits in this subtraction. Find
their values.
−
7
Q
2
S
T
P
3
R
9
6
2
2
2
2
2
Support through intervention
How does the school intervene swiftly to help those having
difficulty to make sure they keep up?
•
•
•
•
Scaffolding work to make it accessible
Same-day intervention
Pre-teaching
Highly effective in-class TA support
”We need to get workload in
proportion. Teachers are
spending time marking when
they should be planning quality
lessons.”
Jane Jones
Ofsted’s National Lead for Mathematics
Myth-busting …
Ofsted recognises that marking and feedback to pupils, both
written and oral, are important aspects of assessment. However,
Ofsted does not expect to see any specific frequency, type or
volume of marking and feedback; these are for the school to
decide through its assessment policy. Marking and feedback should
be consistent with that policy, which may cater for different
subjects and different age groups of pupils in different ways, in
order to be effective and efficient in promoting learning.
”If it’s not useful, don’t do it…
definitely don’t do it for Ofsted!”
Jane Jones
Ofsted’s National Lead for Mathematics