Maths and Science Education: the Supply of High Achievers at A Level
This paper, from the Department of Education (DfE), presented a comprehensive set of statistical analyses building up a picture of the production function for the supply of young people in England with good A levels in mathematics and science. In this way, the questions addressed are focused towards high attainers in these subjects,…
A World-class Mathematics Education for All our Young People
This report was the result of a request to Carol Vorderman from David Cameron and Michael Gove for advice on mathematics education at the time the Conservative Party was in opposition. A small voluntary task force was formed and worked with organisations and individuals (including students and parents) in the course of the completion…
Subject Progression from GCSE to AS Level and Continuation to A Level
This report, by the Department for Education, provides an analysis of the proportion of students taking GCSE and progressing to AS Level in the same subject (that is, progression rates), focussing on English Baccalaureate subject areas. The report then follows the same cohort through from AS to full A level achievement. Data…
Second Report of the Independent Review of Teachers' Standards
This report sets out the recommendations of an independent Review of Teachers’ Standards, chaired by Sally Coates. The review was launched by the Secretary of State in March 2011 with a remit to review the existing framework of professional standards for teachers. The Review Group comprises excellent teachers, head teachers…
Add-ons
Add-ons are part of the T5 (‘Targeting level 5’) pack. There are twelve Add-ons, each covering one of the major areas of mathematics drawn from the level 4–6 Key Stage Three National Curriculum test papers, with a particular emphasis on those areas crucial for achieving level 5. Each Add-on includes four to seven…
Early Entry to GCSE Examinations
This paper, from the Department of Education, presents statistical information on the difference in final grades between those students who are entered early for GCSE examinations and those who are not. The potential impacts associated with early entry are highlighted for consideration, by those responsible for the decision, on whether…
Assessing Pupils' Progress: Standards Files
APP Standards Files exemplify student work at different levels. Each Standards File includes: • examples of evidence generated from students’ work in science, which have been assessed to exemplify the APP approach and show national standards • commentary on the evidence for each AF, which leads to a summative…
Assessing Pupils' Progress: Teachers’ Handbook
Guidance for teachers on the thinking behind the use of Assessing Pupils Progress (APP) in secondary science at Key Stage Three. This handbook stresses the 'periodic' nature of the assessment possible using APP, as opposed to day-to-day and transitional assessments. Contents This booklet contains information for teachers…
Assessing Pupils' Progress: Guidelines and Criteria
Part of the Assessing Pupils' Progress (APP) collection, these resources present the criteria for assessing progress in students’ understanding of science at Key Stage Three. Structure These guidelines/criteria are to help teachers assess progress in students’ work across five strands of assessment called Assessment…
Section Three: Handling Data Lessons
These lessons, from the Targeting Level 4 programme by the National Strategies, are designed to support teachers working with year seven students who need to consolidate work at level three and extend into level four. The lessons, which are quite detailed, focus on teaching strategies to address the stated learning objectives. They…
Section Three: Shape and Space Lessons
The lessons, from the Targeting Level 4 programme by the National Strategies, are designed to support teachers working with year seven students who need to consolidate work at level three and extend into level four. The lessons, which are quite detailed, focus on teaching strategies to address the stated learning objectives. They…
Section Three: Number Lessons
These lessons, from the Targeting Level 4 programme by the National Strategies, are designed to support teachers working with year seven students who need to consolidate work at level three and extend into level four. The lessons, which are quite detailed, focus on teaching strategies to address the stated learning objectives. They…
Sample Plans for Low Attainers
A set of sample plans from the National Strategies looking at number, algebra, geometry and measures. Each sample plan identifies the required prior knowledge, suitable teaching approaches, list of resources and the expected learning outcomes. The resources to implement the lessons accompany the plans as word documents than can…
Guidance Notes for Planning Materials
These materials, from the National Strategies, have been written to support a mathematics teacher in a mainstream classroom working with one or a number of students that are working at or below level three. Students working at level three and below can access relatively sophisticated concepts and make links between them if they…
Sections One and Two: Introduction to Targeting Level Four and Planning Support
These publications from the National Strategies gives an overview of the resources for year 7 intervention and rationale behind them. The Year 7 intervention plan builds key elements of the Key Stage 2 programme of study into the Year 7 yearly teaching programme and illustrates where the new materials in this file and other resources…
Section Three: Algebra Lessons
The Algebra lessons, from the Targeting Level 4 programme by the National Strategies, are designed to support teachers working with year seven students who need to consolidate work at level three and extend into level four. The lessons, which are quite detailed, focus on teaching strategies to address the stated learning objectives.…
Section Four: Consolidation Lessons
These 12 revision lessons on topics that many students will have met before are, with some of the detailed content. 1. Place value, addition and subtraction Use standard column procedures to add and subtract whole numbers. 2. Multiplication Multiply and divide integers and decimals mentally by 10, 100 and 1000, and explain…
Proportional Reasoning Transition Lessons
These transition lessons from the National Strateigies have been developed to support transfer from middle to upper schools but will also support year-on-year transition in Key Stage Three for all secondary schools. Three pairs of transition lessons are available: • Fractions, decimals and percentages, two lessons towards…
Standards Files
The current Standards files from the National Strategies are based on work planned and assessed in relation to the 1999 National Curriculum programme of study. A new set of Standards files based on the 2008 National Curriculum were in production, but this set will provide useful guidance on making Assessing Pupils' Progress…
Year Nine Geometrical Reasoning Mini-pack
This unit on geometrical reasoning from the National Strategies aims to make a significant contribution to the development of teaching and learning of geometrical reasoning. It was planned for the end of Year Nine in order to provide an opportunity to draw together students’ existing geometrical knowledge within a more rigorous…
Year Nine Proportional Reasoning Mini-pack
This unit from the National Strategies is a sequel to the Year Eight multiplicative relationships unit. It provides an opportunity to revise, consolidate and extend ideas introduced in Year Eight and to make links to other mathematical strands, particularly shape and space. Making such links, especially with visual contexts, can…
Year Eight Multiplicative Relationships Mini-pack
This mini-pack from the National Strategies contains materials focusing on developing students' understanding of proportionality. It includes an outline of three teaching phases and supporting resources, including supplementary notes, prompts for main activities and a problem bank. This Year Eight unit has been developed through…
Year Eight Handling Data Mini-pack
This comprehensive pack on handling data from the National strategies was designed to support the teaching in Year Eight. The mini pack contains a sample unit which has been developed through a flexible use of the sample medium-term plans for mathematics. The unit emphasises discussion and interpretation of data alongside a high…
Year Seven Fractions and Ratio Mini-pack
This unit from the National Strategies is a precursor to the Year Eight multiplicative relationships unit and the Year Nine sequel on proportional reasoning. Together they provide a sequence of core units across the key stage, addressing crucial concepts linking multiplication, division, fractions, ratio and proportion. Proportional…
Assessing Pupils Progress Assessment Packages: Students' Work
This set of booklets from the National Strategies complements the Assessing Pupils Progress assessment packages: teacher's pack. Each booklet has examples of students' work based on each of the lesson plans given in the APP packages. The booklets cover the four strands of Number, Algebra, Data Handling and Shape, Space…
Mathematical Challenges for Able Pupils in Key Stages One and Two
This book of challenges for more able students from the National Numeracy Strategy contains puzzles and problems. These are accessible to a wide range of students. There are three parts covering Years One and Two, Years Three and Four, and Years Five and Six. The problems are intended to challenge students and extend their thinking.…
Reasoning About Numbers, with Challenges and Simplifications
This booklet from the National Numeracy Strategy was written to help students: • solve mathematical problems or puzzles, recognise and explain patterns and relationships, generalise and predict; • explain methods and reasoning orally and in writing; • suggest extensions by asking ‘What if …?’ All…
STEM Careers Awareness Guides
These STEM Careers Awareness Guides were designed to provide STEM teachers and careers advisers with an overview of the 'See where they can take you' campaign. This aimed to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers guidance for students, to help them make informed post-16 subject…
Report on the STEM Mapping Review 2004
The purpose of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Mapping Review, published by the Department for Education in 2004, was broadly to: • investigate whether STEM initiatives currently being taken forward address the concerns raised about the decline in demand of university places in STEM. •…
The Study Plus Handbook
The Study Plus handbook from the National Strategies is a general guide to Study Plus for school leaders, mathematics subject leaders and teachers of the Study Plus classes. Section one covers the rationale behind Study Plus, its features include identification of students, organisation, links to GCSE, lessons from the pilot,…
Mathematics Exemplification Examples
The supplements of examples from the Secondary Framework for Teaching Mathematics, produced by the National Strategies, illustrate what students should be able to do within a particular strand of objectives by the end of each year. The four strands being number, algebra, statistics and geometry each of which is subdivided into year…
Developing Reasoning Through Algebra and Geometry (2004)
This booklet, developed for mathematics departments by the National Strategies, is based on materials developed by six working groups as part of QCA’s algebra and geometry project. The project focused on the place of algebra and geometry in developing concepts and skills in reasoning. The booklet brings out key themes from…