Welcome to the NAMA June 2014 e-newsletter
Thanks to the NAMA Executive for their help with writing the newsletter. If you would like to
join the writing team or to contribute an occasional item, particularly news of your work or
local events, please contact me at: [email protected]
Charlotte Madine
Keep up to speed on Twitter NAMA_UK or LinkedIn NAMA UK
NEWS headlines
NAMA news:
New Administrator
Welcome to our new NAMA administrator Dagmar Waller. Many of you met Dagmar at our
conference in March where she did a splendid job of keeping us all on track. Dagmar can be
contacted on [email protected]
New NAMA website
If you have any difficulties accessing the site or you have not received any NAMA emails in
the past few weeks contact Dagmar on [email protected].
New Services for members
NAMA is now able to offer Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (formerly
CRB) for independent consultants to all members; details of how to apply can be found in
the News area of the website.
Other news:
Early Years Foundation Stage
A new statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (EYFS) comes into force on
1 September 2014. The revised 2014 version of the EYFS reflects those changes which
apply to some of the areas within Section 3 on Safeguarding and Welfare.
National curriculum and assessment: information for schools
The Department for Education has issued information on the new national curriculum to be
taught in maintained primary and secondary schools from September 2014. A timetable for
when these changes affect primary schools is also available.
New national curriculum: primary assessment and accountability
The summary of the responses to the government’s consultation proposals to reform primary
school assessment and accountability under the new national curriculum ‘Reforming
Assessment and Accountability for Primary Schools’ was published on 27 March 2014. The
report outlines the government’s response and the next steps to be taken, including the
proposed progress and attainment standards to be used from 2016.
National curriculum assessments: test frameworks Key Stage 1 and 2
Draft Test frameworks for English and Mathematics Key Stages 1 and 2 tests 2016 were
published on Monday 31 March 2014. Final versions will be published in Autumn 2015.
Schools win funds to develop and share new ways of assessing pupils
9 schools have each won £10 000 from the DfE’s Assessment Innovation Fund, to develop
innovative approaches to assessment under the new National Curriculum.
Progress measures foregrounded in new 16-19 accountability scheme
Following consultation, the Minister for Schools David Laws announced changes to 16-19
accountability on 27 March 2014, with increased prominence of progress and destination
measures. The DfE has dismissed respondents’ concerns of the risk that the new post-16
Core Maths qualifications will deter students from studying AS and A-level mathematics and
further mathematics.
16-19
On 14 April 2014, the Department for Education announced a ‘Consultation seeking views
on technical guidance for core maths qualifications for 16- to 19-year-olds.’ The consultation
closed on 26 May 2014.
DfE Consultations:Draft programmes of study for English and Mathematics for Key Stage 4: The
government will not make any changes to the draft programme of study as a result of the
consultation.
National curriculum: draft regulations - KS4 core subjects. This consultation was
published on 14 May and responses are due by 5pm 13th June, which is a very short period
of time.
Greater rewards for high attainment at GCSE in new secondary accountability
measure - Further details of the new secondary accountability measures from 2016 have
been released, giving increased performance table benefit for high attainment at GCSE than
the current arrangement.
GCSE Mathematics linked pair - The final report of the evaluation of the pilot of the
linked pair of GCSEs in mathematics (MLP) was published on the GOV.UK website on 26
March 2014
Over 2000 new jobs and apprenticeships from leading STEM organisations
New opportunities are part of an industry-led campaign launched by the Chancellor to inspire
more young people to study maths and physics.
Education Minister Elizabeth Truss outlines the case for better maths and
science teaching, and new policies designed to help schools 14 May 2014 at Imperial
College
All Party Parliamentary Group on Mathematics and Numeracy - Liz Truss speech
on 12 March World Maths Day opens with news that All Party Group (APPG) for Maths and
Numeracy is being established.
Michael Gove speaks to the Chambers of Commerce about vocational
education, literacy and numeracy education on 1 April 2014 included the phrase
‘national mission to eliminate illiteracy and innumeracy and make opportunity’.
Press release: Ofsted chief unveils new blueprint for inspecting good and
outstanding schools: 21 March 2014 Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector
proposed a new way of inspecting good (60%) and outstanding schools.
NCETM Maths Hubs
30 new Maths Hubs are to be established across England over the next few months. The
DfE has outlined the criteria for schools eligible to apply to take the lead role in a hub. The
names of successful schools will be announced in early June.
NCETM
On Friday 28th March, the NCETM hosted a CPD Standard Holders’ conference in London.
The theme was: ‘Mathematics teaching: a research-based profession?’ The NCETM online
resources for the new curriculum have been updated to include CPD opportunities.
PISA news
Student motivation was the focus of a recent monthly report form PISA. It is also the focus of
Volume III of the full data and analysis.
Financial Education:New OECD publication: Financial Education for Youth – The Role of Schools
Financial capability - New Zealand Resources
Nigeria moves towards including financial literacy in the curriculum.
OECD Publication - Creative problem solving amongst 15-year-olds
What 15-year-olds know and what they can do with what they know.
Forthcoming CPD Events:CPD Saturday 28th June 2014 - Exploration and Facilitation of the role of
Technology - Gill Leahy
Venue - King's College London, Waterloo Bridge Wing, SE1 8WA
Gill Leahy will look at exploring and facilitating technology’s role in the curriculum, teacher
efficiency and assessment.
Cost - Free for NAMA members and £35 for non-members
CPD Saturday 5th July 2014 - Jane Jones HMI
Room B4.3 in Ellen Wilkinson building, Oxford road, University of Manchester, M13 9PL
Cost - Free for NAMA members and £35 for non-members
Mathematics Attainment for All Conference, 18th June, Sheffield Hallam
University
Guest speakers: Dr Heather Mendick, Brunel University and Professor Andy Noyes,
University of Nottingham
The conference is free but you will need to register for the event.
Learning from the classroom - Practitioner research in mathematics education
12 July 2014 10:30 am - 3:30 pm
London Mathematical Society, WC1B 4HS
Keynote speaker: Professor Hilary Povey, Sheffield Hallam University
NEWS in more detail:
NAMA NEWS
New NAMA website
If you have not already done so, please visit www.nama.org.uk, log on with the generic
password and edit your personal details. You will have the option of making your details
public, visible to members, or private.
Members are able to share recommendations via the book club, and it is now easy to add
new items, search the list and print your selection (right-click on your results for the print
dialogue). The forum facilitates member communication; please contribute your thoughts on
current developments in mathematics education and areas of interest to members.
If you have any difficulties accessing the site or you have not received any NAMA emails in
the past few weeks contact NAMA on [email protected].
Back to news headlines
New Services for members
NAMA is now able to offer Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (formerly
CRB) for independent consultants to all members; details of how to apply can be found in
the News area of the website. The cost will be £70 when authenticating documents at a
NAMA event, £80 when authenticating by post. A personal ID card with DBS certification
can be included.
Further details can be found on the News page of the NAMA website:
http://www.nama.org.uk/news.php
Back to news headlines
OTHER NEWS
EYFS Framework 2014
The Government’s response to the consultation on ‘The Regulation of Childcare’ was
published on 13 February 2014. The revised 2014 version of the EYFS reflects those
changes which apply to some of the areas within Section 3 on Safeguarding and Welfare.
There have been no changes to the areas of learning and development, including the early
learning goals.
The 2014 Framework can be downloaded from:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
Back to news headlines
National curriculum and assessment: information for schools
The Department for Education has issued information on the new national curriculum to be
taught in maintained primary and secondary schools from September 2014.
The four page pdf document identifies a range of resources available to support schools
implement the new national curriculum.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/300743/NC_asses
sment_accountability_quals_factsheet_Mar_2014__010414_.pdf
A timetable for when these changes affect primary schools is also available:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-and-assessmentinformation-for-schools
Back to news headlines
New national curriculum: primary assessment and accountability
The summary of the responses to the government’s consultation proposals ‘Reforming
Assessment and Accountability for Primary Schools’ was published on 27 March 2014. The
consultation closed on 11 October. An analysis of the 1187 written responses, can be found
in Annex A. The main reforms and the government’s response outlining the next steps to be
taken, including the proposed progress and attainment standards to be used from 2016 are
summarised in Annex B. Details of the proposed new floor standards are in Annex C.
Summary of reforms
New assessments will reflect the more challenging national curriculum. Specifically:
 introduce more challenging tests that will report a precise scaled score at the end of
the key stages rather than a level;
 make detailed performance descriptors available to inform teacher assessment at the
end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. These will be directly linked to the content of the
new curriculum;

improve the moderation regime to ensure that teacher assessments are
more consistent.
Accountability system will reflect the raised expectations of primary schools:
 set a challenging aspiration that 85% of children should achieve the new expected
standard by the end of primary school.
 introduce a new floor standard, which will be based on the progress made by pupils
from reception to the end of primary school underpinned by a new assessment in
reception from which progress will be measured. A school will fall below the floor only
if pupils make poor progress and fewer than 85% of them achieve the new expected
standard;
 require schools to publish information on their websites so that parents can
understand both the progress pupils make and the standards they achieve.
Reforms are based on a clear set of principles:
 ongoing, teacher-led assessment is a crucial part of effective teaching;
 schools should have the freedom to decide how to teach their curriculum and how to
track the progress that pupils make;
 both summative teacher assessment and external testing are important;
 accountability is key to a successful school system, and therefore must be fair and
transparent;
 measures of both progress and attainment are important for understanding school
performance; and,
 a broad range of information should be published to help parents and the wider
public know how well schools are performing.
National assessments at key points in children’s primary education – to provide standard
information to parents and to give a picture of school performance:
 the existing statutory two-year-old progress check undertaken in early years settings
 a short reception baseline that will sit within the assessments that teachers make of
children during reception;
 a phonics check near the end of year 1;
 a teacher assessment at the end of key stage 1 in mathematics; reading; and,
writing, informed by pupils’ scores in externally-set but internally-marked tests
(writing will be partly informed by the grammar, punctuation and spelling test); and
teacher assessment of speaking and listening and science;
 national tests at the end of key stage 2 in: mathematics; reading; grammar,
punctuation and spelling; and a teacher assessment of mathematics, reading, writing,
and science.
The results of the tests in reading; mathematics; and, grammar, punctuation and spelling will
be reported to pupils and parents as scaled scores. Parents will be provided with their child’s
score alongside the average for their school, the local area and nationally. In the light of the
consultation responses, parents will not be given a decile ranking for their child due to
concerns about whether decile rankings are meaningful and their reliability at individual pupil
level.
Reception Baseline
 Select from recommended ones- still to be published.
 DfE trial in the autumn term 2014
 Can commence in September 2015
 Should commence in September 2016
 Schools that choose not to use an approved baseline assessment from 2016 will be
judged on an attainment floor standard alone
Interim arrangements:
The children who take the first reception baseline in September 2015 will reach the end of
key stage 2 in 2022. Until that point, progress will continue to be measured from the end of
key stage 1, using the new assessment arrangements.
Annex C – Details of the proposed floor standard:
An all-through primary school will be above the floor standard if:
 pupils make sufficient progress at key stage 2 from their starting point in the
reception baseline; or,
 85% or more of pupils meet the new expected standard at the end of key stage 2
(similar to a level 4b under the current system).
Low attaining pupils: P-scales for reporting teachers’ judgements will be retained and the
content of the P-scales will remain unchanged.
The attainment standard from 2016 will be based on the proportion of pupils reaching the
new expected standard in all of reading, writing and mathematics. To reach the new
expected standard, each pupil will be required to attain a scaled score of 100 or more in the
each of the tests in reading and mathematics, as well as being assessed by their teacher as
reaching the new expected standard in writing. A school will be above the attainment floor if
85% of pupils reach the new expected standard in each area.
Publishing information on school performance:
Require schools to publish a suite of indicators of performance on their website in a standard
format:
 The average progress made by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics;
 The percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and
mathematics at the end of key stage 2;
 The average score of pupils in their end of key stage 2 assessments; and,
 The percentage of pupils who achieve a high score in all areas at the end of key
stage 2.
The full report can be downloaded here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-national-curriculum-primaryassessmentandaccountability?utm_content=buffer6f9f3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitte
r.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Back to news headlines
National curriculum assessments: test frameworks Key Stage 1
31 March 2014 the Standards and Testing Agency published guidance for test developers
on the key stage 1 mathematics test. It gives detailed information to ensure an appropriate
test is developed including the:
 content domain
 cognitive domain
 test specification
The framework is draft; it may be updated after the tests are trialed. A final version will be
published before sample test materials are made available in the Summer 2015 Trial. The
tests will be internally marked by teachers, an additional study to consider the reliability of
marking will be undertaken as part of the ‘technical pre-test’.
The mathematics test will cover the aspects of the curriculum that lend themselves to paperbased testing. Some elements of the statutory curriculum are not possible to assess using
the current form of testing; they will need to be assessed by teachers as part of their
statutory assessment of the complete national curriculum.
Test format:
Two separate test papers, not strictly timed. Total Recommended 50 minutes. Suggested
timings:
Paper 1 Arithmetic 15 minutes
Paper 2 Mathematical fluency, solving problems and reasoning 35 minutes (with a
break, if necessary)
Resource list for the mathematics test comprises: number line (0–30), hundred square,
structured apparatus (tens and ones), pencil, eraser and ruler. Children will not be permitted
to use a calculator in either of the components.
Content Domain
The curriculum has been grouped into subdomains. The tests will, over time, sample from
each area of the content domain. A referencing system is used in the content domain to
indicate the year, the strand and the sub-strand, for example ‘1N1’ equates to:



year - 1
strand - Number and place value
sub-strand - 1
Table 2 (page 8) shows the references for the strands and sub-strands and table 3 (page 10)
shows the progression across the years (these will be very useful for teachers tracking
objectives for assessment purposes).
Information about the cognitive domain can be found in the article below on Key stage 2 Test
framework.
Link to KS1Test frameworks:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-1-mathematics-test-framework
National curriculum assessments: test frameworks Key stage 2
31 March 2014 the Standards and Testing Agency published guidance for test developers
for the key stage 2 mathematics test. The framework includes those parts of the programme
of study as outlined in the national curriculum (2014) that will be covered in the test (the
‘content domain’). The cognitive processes considered central to the mathematics tests are
detailed in the cognitive domain.
The test specification includes specifics about the test format, question types, response
types and marking as well as a clear test-level reporting strategy. It answers questions about
what the test will cover, and how. The tests will be externally marked on-screen by trained
markers.
Test format:
The mathematics test is comprised of two components, which will be presented to children
as three separate test papers and the total testing time is 110 minutes:
 arithmetic paper
 two papers; there are no significant differences in format between the two papers.
Test questions:
Paper 1 (arithmetic) will be comprised of constructed response questions, presented as
context-free calculations. The majority of the arithmetic calculations will be worth one mark,
however, two marks will be available for long multiplication and long division.
Paper 2 and 3: will include both selected response and constructed response questions both
in context and out of context. Up to 50 per cent of marks across these papers will be set in
context.
Selected response questions include question formats such as:
 multiple choice
 matching
 true–false
Constructed response questions will include the following:
 Constrained questions, where children are required to provide a single or best
answer. These might involve giving the answer to a calculation, completing a chart or
table, or drawing a shape. For questions worth more than one mark, partial credit will
be available.
 Less constrained questions, where children are required to communicate their
approach to evaluating a statement or problem.
Resource list for the mathematics tests comprises: pencil / black pen, eraser, ruler (mm and
cm), angle measurer / protractor and mirror. Children will not be permitted to use a calculator
in any of the components.
Questions will range from those requiring recall of facts or application of learned procedures
to those requiring understanding of how to use facts and procedures creatively to decide
how to solve complex and unfamiliar problems. Question difficulty will be affected by the
strands of the cognitive domain such as computational complexity and spatial reasoning and
data interpretation.
Weighting:
Number, calculation, fractions, decimals and percentages, ratio and proportion, and algebra
-72 to 83 marks (65 to 75%)
Measurement, geometry and statistics - 28 to 39 marks (25 to 35%)
Content Domain
A referencing system is used in the content domain to indicate the year, the strand and the
sub-strand, for example ‘3N1’ equates to:
• year - 3
• strand - Number, place value, approximation and estimation / rounding
• sub-strand - 1
Table 2 (page 8) shows the references for the strands and sub-strands and table 3 (page 11)
shows the progression across the years; (these will be very useful for teachers tracking
objectives for assessment purposes).
Cognitive Domain:
Four strands, each strand is categorised using a four-point rating scale. Detailed
descriptions of each strand are provided in section 5.




Depth of understanding. This strand is used to assess the demand associated with
recalling facts and using procedures to solve problems.
Computational complexity. This strand is used to assess the computational demand
of problems.
Spatial reasoning and data interpretation. This strand is used to assess the demand
associated with the representation of geometrical problems involving 2-dimensional
and 3-dimensional shapes and position and movement. This strand is also used to
assess the demand associated with interpreting data presented in tables, pictograms,
charts and graphs.
Response strategy. This strand describes the demand associated with constructing a
response to a question.
Details of each test component and paper can be found in section 6.
Reporting:
The raw score on the test (the total achieved marks out of the total 110 marks) will be
converted to a scaled score. Additionally, each child will receive an overall result indicating
whether or not he or she has achieved the required standard on the test. 100 on the scaled
score will mark the borderline for meeting age related expectations.
Expected Standard Threshold
The performance descriptor defines the performance level required to meet the standard –
the typical characteristics of children whose performance in the key stage 2 tests is at the
threshold of the expected standard. This performance descriptor will be used by a panel of
teachers to set the standards on the new tests following their first administration in May
2016. It is not intended to be used to support teacher assessment since it only reflects the
elements of the programme of study that can be assessed in a written test.
Link to KS2 Test frameworks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2mathematics-test-framework
Back to news headlines
Schools win funds to develop and share new ways of assessing pupils
Following a competition announced in December 2013, the successful schools will now use
the DfE funding to turn their model into free, easy-to-use packages for other schools to use.
Several of the winning approaches divide the National Curriculum into discrete units, some
identify ‘skills’ within each subject, which are summatively assessed. Results are used for
analysing each learner’s progress, reporting to parents, and informing future teaching.
In the press release announcing the competition winners, the Department for Education
announced the future provision of a package available to help schools assess pupils once
the levels system has been removed from the curriculum in September 2014, .
Schools can choose how to assess learners’ achievement against the school curriculum,
and are expected to publish details of the assessment system with the curriculum on the
school website. The DfE has published “Assessment Principles” designed to help schools
implement arrangements for assessing pupils’ progress.
List of funded schools and further details of the Assessment Innovation Fund can be found
here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-win-funds-to-develop-and-share-newways-of-assessing-pupils
Assessment principles published by the DfE in April 2014:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/304602/Asses
sment_Principles.pdf
Back to news headlines
Progress measures foregrounded in new 16-19 accountability scheme
On 27 March 2014 the Minister for Schools David Laws announced the introduction from
March 2014 of new headline measures of performance for all 16 to 19 providers. The
headline measures include:





progress measures
attainment measures
retention measures
English and mathematics progress measures for those who did not achieve good
grades at age 16
destination measures
Progress is preferred to attainment in sub-level 3 mathematics to deter undue focus on
students working at the level 2 C/D borderline.
In the published response to the 16-19 Accountability Consultation the DfE restates the
government’s ambition that “by 2020 the vast majority of young people continue to study
maths to age 18”. From 2017 the DfE will publish an additional measure designed to reward
providers for supporting students to develop the advanced mathematical skills that
are valued by universities and employers. The measure will show the percentage of students
who achieved GCSE maths (at A*-C) at the end of key stage 4, who have gone on to
achieve an approved level 3 Core Maths qualification, maths AS or A Level, or an
International Baccalaureate level 3 maths certificate.
The response cites respondents’ concerns about whether this measure could incentivise the
take-up of Core Maths qualifications at the expense of AS or A level maths and further
maths. This was discussed with school and college leaders, and the decision made that this
does not represent a significant risk. “New qualifications will be designed for the group of
students for whom AS or A level is not suitable, whereas AS and A level will continue to
attract those students who are studying and/or will progress into courses with a significant
mathematical focus, such as mathematics, engineering, economics and the sciences.”
David Laws announcement: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/primary-and-16-to19-assessment-and-accountability
DfE response to 16-19 Accountability consultation:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296186/DfE_c
onsultation_response_16-19_Accountability_final_for_publication.pdf
Back to news headlines
16-19
On 16 April 2014, the Department for Education updated the webpage on the introduction of
level 3 maths qualifications for post-16 students who do not progress into AS/A level maths.
The policy document, first published in January, relates to the Introduction of 16 to 18 Core
maths qualifications. It sets out the purpose, design process and characteristics of core
maths qualifications, including expectations of the size, content, grading, assessment, and
an outline timetable for qualification development and accreditation.
webpage:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/core-maths-technical-guidance
document:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/303050/Core_
maths_technical_guidance_-Consultation_Document.pdf
The link to project funding application form has been removed, as applications closed on 9
April 2014.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-18-core-maths-qualifications
Back to news headlines
DfE Consultations
Draft programmes of study for English and mathematics for Key Stage 4:
Government consultation response
The government will not make any changes to the draft programme of study as a result of
the consultation. Here is what they report as the summary of responses to the consultation
re mathematics:
There were 42 responses on the content of the programme of study, and 36 responses on
whether the programme of study provides appropriate progression from key stage 3.
11 of the 36 respondents felt that the draft programme of study provides for appropriate
progression from key stage 3 (compared to 15 who disagreed). 8 of the 42 respondents
thought the level of challenge and extra content was appropriate. Where respondents raised
concerns, the most common specific points made were that the content:



was too challenging, particularly for less able students (18 of the 42
respondents);
was too large, which would place excessive demands on schools and teachers (10 of
the 42 respondents); and
was not consistent with key stages 1 to 3 (8 of the 42 responses).
Comments made highlighted the views that the mathematical content that should be taught
to all pupils was very challenging and could adversely affect less able students; and that
some of the content was taught at A level and that there was no value in including it at key
stage 4.
National curriculum: draft regulations - KS4 core subjects
This consultation was published on 14 May and responses are due by 5pm 13th June, which
is a very short period of time. Note also that this consultation was published on the same day
as the consultation response above.
This consultation covers the proposed legislative changes to:
(a) give effect to the government’s proposals for changes to the programmes of study for key
stage 4 English and mathematics;
(b) phase the new programmes of study so that they are taught to year 10 pupils from
September 2015 and to years 10 and 11 pupils from September 2016; and
(c) extend the disapplication of the current programmes of study for key stage 4 English and
mathematics for a further school year (2015/16) for year 11 pupils to reflect the phasing in of
the new programmes of study.
Back to news headlines
Greater rewards for high attainment at GCSE in new secondary accountability
measure
In March 2014 the DfE published technical guidance regarding the new Progress 8 measure
which will become the floor standard for secondary schools from 2016. Schools have also
been given access to some details of their current performance using aspects of one of
these new secondary accountability measures.
Performance tables based on 2016 exam results will now include a floor standard relying
solely on ‘Progress 8’, a value added measure in 8 subjects based on
England:
mathematics
progress from KS2 attainment; maths and English will be ‘double
GCSE
results
from each
counted’ in this measure.
The DfE commissioned the Fischer Family Trust (FFT) to produce
some indicative results to show schools how their current
performance might be reported under the new scheme.
These new measures allow schools to judge how well students are
attaining relative to their KS2 starting point (N.B. overall APS is used,
not only maths). GCSE grades are expressed as ‘subgrades’, e.g.
C+, B, A*- . The mathematics results for all students in England in
2013 are shown in this table.
A technical but significant aspect is the way that the new
methodology converts GCSE grades to points. In the current system
a grade G is worth 16 points, C is worth 40 points, and an A* is worth
58; in the new system G is 1, C is 5 and A* is 8. In terms of this
measure, the value of a student with an A* will be 8 times that of a
KS2 starting point (using
overall APS)
KS2 APS
none
GCSE
C-
W
G+
1
F-
2
F-
3
E
4C
D+
4B
C
4A
C+
5C
B+
5B
A
5A
A*-
with an England average of
C.
student with a G, representing more than twice the relative value in the current
scheme.
Further information and the full Progress8 technical guide are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-8-school-performance-measure
Back to news headlines
GCSE Mathematics linked pair
The final report of the evaluation of the pilot of the linked pair of GCSEs in mathematics
(MLP) was published on the GOV.UK website on 26 March 2014:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/linked-pair-of-gcses-in-mathematics-mlpevaluation
Background:
The evaluation was commissioned in March 2010 by the Qualifications and Curriculum
Development Agency (QCDA) to evaluate the pilot of the mathematics linked pair (MLP) of
GCSEs. Since 2011, it has been managed by the Department for Education (DfE). The
overall aim of the evaluation was to consider the extent to which the MLP offers a different
experience of learning mathematics from the single GCSE.
The evaluation was of a longitudinal qualitative design with 13 pilot centres visited
periodically over three years. Quantitative elements have been added to the methodology,
such as online surveys of pilot centres and statistical analysis of students’ attainment data
from the participating awarding organisations and the National Pupil Database (NPD). This
final report synthesis the findings from across the evaluation.
Key findings:





Centres used different models of delivery (sequential, parallel and integrated) to
implement the MLP qualifications, with many centres making considerable changes
to their approaches to teaching and learning in order for the opportunities offered by
the MLP to be realised.
Implementation of the MLP had the greatest impact on teaching and learning in
centres in which the focus was on enriching students’ experience of learning
mathematics and increasing mathematical understanding, rather than on increasing
GCSE grade performance.
Students’ engagement and motivation were felt to have increased significantly where
new, innovative teaching methods had been prompted by the introduction of the
MLP.
Overall, case-study centres considered the MLP to be broadly appropriate for most
student groups, provided there was enough curriculum time to teach the additional
content. However, there remained concerns that the MLP might not be suitable for
some lower-attaining students, as their lower levels of literacy could result in them
struggling to understand what is required when faced with scenariobased/contextualised tasks, a focus of applications of mathematics in the MLP.
The statistical data showed a large proportion of higher-attaining students were
entered for the assessments, with some pilot centres being reluctant to enter lowerattaining students. Students’ attainment across the two MLP qualifications was very
similar, and students scored higher on the two MLP qualifications than on the single
GCSE.
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STEM
Over 2000 new jobs and apprenticeships from leading STEM organisations
New opportunities are part of an industry-led campaign launched by the Chancellor to inspire
more young people to study maths and physics.
The campaign – called ‘Your Life’ – was launched by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the
Rt. Hon. George Osborne MP, and the leading organisations and entrepreneurs taking part
in it.
Organisations such as Google, Arup, L’Oreal, Microsoft, Ford, BP, BSkyB, Airbus, Balfour
Beatty, Laing O’Rourke, IBM, Nestle, Samsung, the Science Museum and the Royal
Academy of Engineering have pledged to do more to highlight the career opportunities open
to those studying STEM subjects, committing to create over 2,000 new entry level positions
including apprenticeships, graduate jobs or paid work experience posts.
The campaign will also have targeted advertising and a new scheme to boost the number of
high-skilled science teachers alongside the pledges from businesses.
More
info https://www.gov.uk/government/news/over-2000-new-jobs-and-apprenticeshipsfrom-leading-stem-organisations
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Education Minister Elizabeth Truss outlines the case for better maths and
science teaching, and new policies designed to help schools - 14 May 2014 at
Imperial College
Liz Truss referred to the launch of the ‘Your Life’ campaign on 7th May chaired by Edwina
Dunn, a successful businesswoman, leading a group of innovators in technology,
engineering, finance and numerous other fields. She wants to see a 50% increase in the
numbers of students taking physics and maths A level within 3 years.
From Airbus to Facebook, L’Oreal to Lloyds - a sign of the variety of employers desperately
seeking better maths and science aiming for a massive change in attitudes to maths and
science.
George Osborne, the previous week, announced a further programme: maths and physics
chairs; postgraduate specialists who will go into schools with particularly low progression
rates from GCSE to A level maths and science. The scheme is sponsored by top firms including Barclays, Samsung and GlaxoSmithKline. These companies will contribute to the
£40,000 salary over a 3-year term. These chairs will inject enthusiasm and expertise into the
classroom, running master classes, online lesson demonstrations, linking the classroom to
business and universities.
New transparency measure at the end of June, new data will be published on maths and
physics at A Level. It will show what proportion of boys and girls studying A levels are taking
maths, further maths or physics at each school. The 2012 to 2013 data will be published in
June 2014 as part of the data release on education, training and employment among 16- to
18-year-olds. Thereafter the statistics will be published every year at the same time as the
secondary school and college performance tables, which will be released in January 2015.
That will mean everyone is able to identify those areas of the country with low or no science
teaching to an advanced level. Across the country, almost 1 in 5 (17%) schools have no
pupils doing physics.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elizabeth-truss-on-support-for-maths-and-scienceteaching
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All Party Parliamentary Group on Mathematics and Numeracy - Liz
Truss speech on 12 March World Maths Day opens with news that Group is
being established
Liz Truss announced the All Party Group (APPG) for Maths and Numeracy, and emphasised
the ‘Maths is for everyone ‘message, and ‘Maths for life chances’. A link to the names of
those who are involved can be found at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/maths-and-numeracy.htm
She cited the OECD message that numeracy is ‘the best protection against unemployment,
low wages and poor health.’ Referenced gender differences in the UK: e.g. PISA 2012,
shows that boys outperformed our girls in both maths and science - the gap larger than the
OECD average, and the decline on confidence in girls by age 14 years – she links this to the
‘pay gender gap’. In addition to this, the disparity in performance of FSM to non FSM in
respect of getting at least a C grade at GCSE (50% AND 75 % respectively) was cited.
Under performance should not be ‘inevitable‘ (In Hong Kong, just under 9% of all pupils
achieved the lowest levels in the PISA maths assessment; Singapore, just above 8%;
Shanghai, under 4%; England, 22%) Liz Truss also linked maths performance to the highest
earning premium, and ‘access to culture’ citing the historical significance of Britain’s
mathematical thinking. Final messages centred on the importance of maths teaching through
the emphasis on arithmetic in the New Curriculum, more challenging GCSEs with more
maths application, and new core maths up to 18 .The new maths programme with China,
and the 30 Maths Hubs and their links with this: with up to 60 maths teachers from China
coming to the hubs, starting this autumn term was referenced.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elizabeth-truss-speaks-about-maths-teaching
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Michael Gove speaks to the Chambers of Commerce about vocational
education, literacy and numeracy education. 1 April 2014
Opening paragraphs
 Mentions:’ The most successful schools in this country - and the most successful
education jurisdictions in the world - share particular qualities. Greater autonomy for
those at the frontline; sharper, more intelligent accountability; and doing everything
possible to drive up the standard of teaching’. States that the Governments plan and
objectives are based on this.
 Comments on the decline in the past of students studying core academic subjects at
GCSE: claims that this fell from 50% to 22%, but now this trend has been reversed.
Quotes number of students studying physics, chemistry and biology up by around
1/3.
 Vocational study: from 2014 only courses that will count in the 14-16 league tables
are ‘those of high quality, rigorous and proven to support progresses.
 Mentions the development of new tech levels as providing a high-quality vocational
alternative to a levels - each endorsed by professional associations or employers.
 Along with a high-level maths qualification and an extended project, Tech Levels will
count towards the Technical Baccalaureate, or TechBacc - an ambitious new
benchmark for the most talented students
Helping young people to get and create jobs
 A section about reforms in apprenticeships: quotes 53 Chambers of Commerce
delivering 3476 apprenticeships and brokering a further 846- states a demand for
more high quality modern apprenticeships, with a quest for simplified bureaucracy.
Extended apprenticeship grants for employers to support small firms, and to make
commitments to recruit and train young apprentices: £85m in 2014-2015, 2015-2016.
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So called ‘short duration’ apprenticeships ‘stripped out’ and poor quality
training removed: a quest for all apprenticeships to become ‘real jobs, with more
stretching qualifications in English and maths.’
400 employers are now involved as Trailblazers e.g. BAE, National Grid, Santander
etc…These will publish new apprenticeship standards: ’No excuse for employers not
to offer apprenticeships.’
New levels of ambition
 ‘We need to illuminate illiteracy and innumeracy in Britain ‘ quote :Government
is introducing policies to ensure that children leave primary schools literate and
numerate: including year 1 phonics check, KS1 - new test in spelling , grammar and
punctuation to inform writing, KS2 - reforming tests in spelling , punctuation, grammar
and maths, with a more demanding emphasis on multiplication and division. 85% to
reach level of literacy and numeracy linked to getting good grades at GCSE: ’Failure
to secure a good Maths or English GCSE renders any student effectively
unemployable‘. Students who fail at 16 will continue to study English and Maths.
 30 maths hubs led by outstanding schools, to take a lead in the Chinese teacher
exchange and share good practice.
Full speech:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/michael-gove-an-education-system-whichworks-for-every-child
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Press release: Ofsted chief unveils new blueprint for inspecting good and
outstanding schools: 21 March 2014
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Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector proposed a new way of inspecting
good (60%) and outstanding schools:
Good schools, should no longer be subject to full routine inspections, but should
receive more frequent, but ‘light touch ‘visits every two years by HMI, or a serving
school leader working as an associate Ofsted inspector, who would engage in
professional dialogue with the SLT, which would be ‘challenging but also constructive
‘Planned changes will be developed over the next 18 months in consultation with the
DfE and professional associations.
Underpinned by 3 principles: need for Ofsted to undertake ‘root and branch‘ reviews
of outsourced inspections; need to move to more proportionate and risk based
inspection of schools that need greater intervention, (incrementally moving away
from routine ‘section 5’ inspections of good schools; belief that HMI should lead the
great majority of school inspections – plans to increase number of HMI posts over
the next few years, to include a much larger number of seconded outstanding serving
school practitioners. ‘Under these proposals, a full inspection will only be triggered
when inspectors see either steep decline or significant improvement in a good
school. Even if the HMI does see some problems in a school, a full inspection may
not be required - as long as the school leaders are tackling the problems effectively’
5 years is too long ‘for parents and to spot decline and also for schools to show they
are outstanding.’
Outstanding schools - similar arrangements as above – these schools are already
exempt from routine inspection, but if a dip in performance or other concerns are
raised, will be subject in the first instance to new, shorter inspections.
States that all ‘publicly funded schools should be accountable to one inspectorate:
‘those who advocate a different inspection system for academies and free schools
must be very careful not to be seen as apologists for lower standards.’
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/news/ofsted-chief-unveils-new-blueprint-for-inspecting-good-andoutstanding-schools?news=22441
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Maths Hubs
The process to identify schools to lead around 30 new Maths Hubs is now nearing
completion, with the names of the successful schools due to be announced in early June.
The programme, funded by the DfE, is being coordinated by the National Centre for
Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). While each hub will be led by a single
school, that school will lead a collaborative effort among other local institutions, including
schools, and individuals with expertise in maths education, including local authority maths
advisers, freelance consultants and CPD providers.
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NCETM
On Friday 28th March, the NCETM hosted a CPD Standard Holders’ conference in London.
The theme was: ‘Mathematics teaching: a research-based profession?’
Sue Hough, Professor John Mason and Geoff Wake each provided a perspective around
how recent research might be incorporated into CPD provision and resultantly impact on
young people’s learning through teacher engagement. A key question asked by John Mason
was: “When leading CPD sessions, how do you display care for mathematics, care for
participants and care for (their) students?” This is a relevant question to all facilitators of
teacher CPD.
A policy update was also provided by Charlie Stripp, Director of the NCETM. The
development of maths hubs was discussed. Since then, answers to a list of common
questions have been provided at the following link: https://www.ncetm.org.uk/news/44309
The Shanghai teacher exchange will be the first national project that maths hubs are asked
to engage with, as the NCETM coordinate development of this mutual opportunity to learn
from best practice that is evident in both Chinese and English schools. In addition to the
above, it was explained the NCETM standard will shortly move to a subscription model,
which will keep the accreditation sustainable in monetary terms
The event concluded with a session led by Jane Jones, HMI, which allowed delegates to
reflect on how productive use can be made of OfSTED’s evidence, such as that provided in
Mathematics: made to measure.
The NCETM online resources
The NCETM online resources for the new curriculum have been updated to include CPD
opportunities to develop a scheme of work, the Singapore Bar model and teaching fractions.
A new resource to support progression in reasoning skills is designed to highlight
opportunities and strategies that develop aspects of reasoning throughout the National
Curriculum programmes of study. Progression maps for each NC domain have been
augmented with a variety of reasoning activities (shaded sections) underneath the relevant
programme of study statements for each year group. The activities also offer the opportunity
for children to demonstrate depth of understanding, they will be very useful for assessment
purposes as well as regular classroom activities.
National Curriculum Resource Tool is now fully populated and the pages contain links to
relevant resources from across the NCETM, and include links to discussion forums, offering
the opportunity to examine and record your own practice and thoughts.
Bookings are now being taken for a series of one-day conferences across England to
support those working with trainee teachers in mathematics at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3.
They draw on the materials from the NCETM Professional Development Lead
Support Programme (PDLSP) for Primary and Secondary PD providers and will be
adapted to provide a specific focus on initial teacher training.
Dates for booking regionally https://www.ncetm.org.uk/news/44610
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PISA news
PISA 2012 is the programme’s 5th survey. It assessed the competencies of 15-year-olds in
reading, mathematics and science (with a focus on mathematics) in 65 countries and
economies, 34 of which were OECD countries. Results were published last December and
are summarised in NAMA’s March 2014 newsletter. Mining of the very large PISA database
is on-going. The focus recently has been on student motivation. This was the focus of a
recent monthly report form PISA. It is also the focus of Volume III of the full data and
analysis.
Key findings from PISA Monthly Focus 37: Do students have the drive to
succeed
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When students believe that investing effort in learning will make a difference, they
score significantly higher in mathematics.
The fact that large proportions of students in most countries consistently believe that
student achievement is mainly a product of hard work, rather than inherited
intelligence, suggests that education and its social context can make a difference in
instilling values that foster success in education.
Teachers’ use of cognitive-activation strategies, such as giving students problems
that require them to think for an extended time, presenting problems for which there
is no immediately obvious way of arriving at a solution, and helping students to learn
from their mistakes, is associated with students’ drive.
Students whose teachers set clear goals for learning and offer feedback on their
performance in mathematics also tend to report higher levels of perseverance and
openness to problem solving.
PISA 2012 Results: Ready to Learn Volume 3
This third volume of PISA 2012 results explores students’ engagement with and at school,
their drive and motivation to succeed, and the beliefs they hold about themselves as
mathematics learners.
Key Findings
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Four out of five students in OECD countries agree or strongly agree that they feel
happy at school or that they feel like they belong at school.
Although the vast majority of students reported a strong sense of belonging, more
than one in three students in OECD countries reported that they had arrived late for
school in the two weeks prior to the PISA test; and more than one in four students
reported that they had skipped classes or days of school during the same period.
Students who are more perseverant and more open to problem solving perform at
higher levels in mathematics.
Across most countries and economies, socio-economically disadvantaged students
not only score lower in mathematics, they also have lower levels of engagement,
drive, motivation and self-beliefs. Resilient students, disadvantaged students who
achieve at high levels, break this link.
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One way that a student’s negative self-belief can manifest itself is in
anxiety towards mathematics. Some 30% of students reported that they feel helpless
when doing mathematics problems: 25% of boys, 35% of girls, 35% of disadvantaged
students, and 24% of advantaged students reported feeling that way.
PISA results show that even when girls perform as well as boys in mathematics, they
report less perseverance, less openness to problem solving, less intrinsic and
instrumental motivation to learn mathematics, lower mathematics self-concept and
higher levels of anxiety towards mathematics than boys, on average; they are also
more likely than boys to attribute failure in mathematics to themselves rather than to
external factors.
In many countries, students’ motivation, self-belief and dispositions towards learning
mathematics are positively associated not only with how well they perform in
mathematics, but also with how much better these students perform compared to
other students in their school.
Teacher-student relations are strongly associated with students’ engagement with
and at school
Parents’ expectations are strongly and positively associated not only with students’
mathematics performance but also with positive dispositions towards learning.
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Financial Education
New OECD publication: Financial Education for Youth – The Role of Schools
The importance of financial literacy and specifically the need to promote financial education
has been recognised as an important contributor to improved financial inclusion and
individuals’ financial well-being as well as a support to financial stability. The relevance of
financial education policies is acknowledged at the highest global policy level: in 2012, G20
Leaders endorsed the OECD/INFE High-level Principles on National Strategies for Financial
Education that specifically identify youth as one of the priority targets of government policies
in this domain. That same year, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers of
Finance identified financial literacy as a critical life skill.
This publication addresses the challenges linked to the introduction of financial education in
schools, provides practical guidance and case studies to assist policy makers, as well as a
comparative analysis of existing learning frameworks.
Most national financial education strategies have youth among the key target groups. As
such, they aim at introducing financial education into the school curriculum and designing
dedicated learning frameworks. The rationale for this focus and these new policy
endeavours is multi-fold. First, while financial education concerns all ages, the education of
younger generations on financial issues has become all the more important since they will
likely bear more financial risks and be faced with increasingly complex and sophisticated
financial products than their parents. Second, the young have access to, and are being
offered, financial services at ever earlier ages (through pocket money, mobile phones, bank
accounts, or even credit cards). Yet, most recent surveys show worrying low levels of youth
financial literacy and, in many cases, significantly lower levels than older generations.
Financial capability - New Zealand Resources
Financial capability is highlighted in The New Zealand Curriculum as an example of the type
of theme that schools could use for effective cross-curricular teaching and learning
programmes.
Links between learning areas should be explored. This can lead, for example, to units of
work or broad programmes designed to develop students’ financial capability, positioning
them to make well-informed financial decisions throughout their lives. - The New
Zealand Curriculum, page 39
The curriculum page on financial capability links advice, information and resources pages,
some of which may be useful to schools that NAMA members are supporting:
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Stories from schools about work on financial capability. This covers all phases and
includes testimony from students.
Information and guidance on what constitutes financial capability, on curriculum and
on pedagogy
Eight levels of progression in Setting Financial Goals, Managing Risk, and Managing
Money
A wealth of resources, including word versions of lesson plans, classroom materials
and links to other websites, including from the UK, the Personal Financial Education
Group http://www.pfeg.org/
Nigeria moves towards including financial literacy in the curriculum
The Nigerian Education Research Council, NERC, the Federal Ministry of Education and
other interest groups, including the Capital Market, Insurance and Pensions, are working
together with a view to ensuring that financial literacy is introduced as a distinct subject and
taught in Nigerian schools from next year.
A spokesperson for the Nigerian Consumer Protection Department said “The idea is about
educating children about the knowledge and skills and it will help them to manage their
finances when they grow up. We have different programmes for different phases’’
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OECD Publication - Creative problem solving amongst 15-year-olds
What 15-year-olds know and what they can do with what they know In modern societies, all
of life is problem solving. On average across OECD countries, about one in five students is
able to solve only straightforward problems provided that they refer to familiar situations.
Complex problem-solving skills are in demand in fast-growing, highly skilled managerial,
professional and technical occupations.
Are today’s 15-year-olds acquiring the problem-solving skills needed in the 21st century?
Volume V of the 2012 PISA survey reports the results from its assessment of problem
solving, which was administered, on computer, to about 85 000 students in 44 countries and
economies.
http://www.oecd.org/pisa/keyfindings/pisa-2012-results-volume-v.htm
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Forthcoming CPD Events:CPD Saturday 28th June 2014 - Exploration and Facilitation of the role of
Technology - Gill Leahy 28th June from 10 a.m. to 1.15 p.m.
King's College London, Waterloo Bridge Wing, SE1 8WA
Gill Leahy will look at exploring and facilitating technology’s role in the curriculum, teacher
efficiency and assessment drawing on her work with staff both in the UK and throughout
Europe on various research projects.
There will also be time for discussions, the usual updates and the Book Club
Cost - Free for NAMA members and £35 for non-members
CPD Saturday - Jane Jones HMI 5th July 2014
Room B4.3 in Ellen Wilkinson Building, Devas Street, University of
Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL from 10am to 1.30pm
This event is free to members of NAMA. Non-members will be charged £35 which is payable
by cash on the day, although this will be refunded if non-members join the association on the
day.
Tea and Coffee will be available.
The day will consist of expert input, group discussions and opportunities to network and
share experiences with colleagues. A programme will be available shortly.
Mathematics Attainment for All Conference, 18th June, Sheffield Hallam
University
Guest speakers: Dr Heather Mendick, Brunel University and Professor Andy
Noyes, University of Nottingham
As part of the launch of the Sheffield Institute of Education, you are invited to a free day
conference for those interested in secondary mathematics teaching: teachers including
NQTs, qualifying initial teacher education students and researchers and other professionals.
Based on the recent publication, Debates in Mathematics Education, edited by Dawn Leslie
and Heather Mendick and published by Routledge, the theme of the conference will be
research-based enquiry into social justice issues in mathematics education.
Practitioner-led workshops will include:
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increasing attainment through problem solving
low threshold, high ceiling tasks
working as an NQT
mathematics learning supported through philosophy for children
enabling mathematics attainment through structured group work.
The conference is free but you need to register at
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mathematics-attainment-for-all-registration-11646018555>
Learning from the classroom - Practitioner research in mathematics education
12 July 2014 10:30 am - 3:30 pm
London Mathematical Society, WC1B 4HS
Keynote speaker: Professor Hilary Povey, Sheffield Hallam University
This joint event convened by the BERA special interest groups on Practitioner Research
and Mathematics Education in collaboration with the British Society for the Learning of
Mathematics.
For further information and to register please visit http://www.bera.ac.uk/event/learning-fromthe-classroom-practitioner-research-in-mathematics-education?utm_source=Enews+List&utm_campaign=03c54497ceApril_e_news_20143_14_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_76aa943a4503c54497ce-64376465
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