A one-year CPD programme for key stage 3 maths teachers is to be trialled. A total of £300,000 in government funding is to be given to the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) to develop the project.
The CPD will focus on building effective teaching of “multiplicative reasoning”, which includes fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios.
The programme begins in July and schools involved will be able to develop two members of staff, including one with a management role at key stage 3, who will then be expected to spread best practice to colleagues within their department.
It will include a four-day possible residential, follow-up days in school, and year-round tuition among other aspects
The Department for Education says the scheme will be rolled out on a larger scale if the trial proves to be effective.
NCETM director Charlie Stripp said: “We know there is a lot of excellent mathematics teaching at key stage 3 but some teachers struggle to give their students the in-depth knowledge and understanding they need to succeed later on.
“Key stage 3 is a vital period for pupils learning mathematics. They need to consolidate the mathematics they learned at primary school, building on their understanding in fractions, decimals and percentages to develop fluency in multiplicative reasoning, which is essential for future GCSE success.”
To find out more about the programme, email info@ncetm.org.uk with “KS3 improvement programme” in the subject line.