The NCETM Maths Podcast, from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, invites teachers, maths experts and anyone with a passion for teaching maths to talk about topics that shine a light on great maths teaching. With ideas for classroom activities, inspirational stories of careers in maths, and lively debates on contemporary topics, the NCETM podcast has something for everyone. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes
Tuesday Jun 12, 2018
Tuesday Jun 12, 2018
A discussion with the head of a Birmingham primary school, in an area of educational under-achievement, which, working closely with its local Maths Hub, embraced teaching for mastery in 2016.
Show notes: Taking part in the discussion are:
- Helen Hastilow, headteacher of Slade Primary School in Birmingham
- Steve McCormack NCETM Communications Director
Find out how your school could work on teaching for mastery within the Maths Hubs programme here. The Maths Hub serving Birmingham is Central Maths Hub.
Friday May 25, 2018
Friday May 25, 2018
A discussion with the two lead editors of the PD materials, to help teachers and schools implement a teaching for mastery approach, being produced by the NCETM and Maths Hubs.
Show notes: Taking part in the discussion are:
- Debbie Morgan, NCETM Director for Primary
- Clare Christie, Maths Lead, Ashley Downs Schools Federation, Bristol
- Jo Creamer, Maths Lead and Year 1 teacher, St Peter and St Paul Catholic Primary School, Bristol
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director
The mastery professional development materials at the centre of this discussion can be found here on the NCETM website. Background information about the NCETM’s work in the area of teaching for mastery can be found here. You may also be interested in the primary maths mastery assessment materials, also produced by NCETM working with teachers in Maths Hubs.
Friday May 11, 2018
Friday May 11, 2018
A discussion with two maths teachers, both heavily involved in the Maths Hubs project that is introducing teaching for mastery to secondary schools.
Show notes: Taking part in the discussion are:
- Frances Carr, Surrey Plus Maths Hub Lead, and a member of the national Maths Hub team coordinating the secondary school teaching for mastery project
- Simon Petri, Secondary Mastery Specialist, Surrey Plus Maths Hub
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director
Find out how the programme has changed the classroom practice of some of Simon’s colleagues here.
If you’d like to apply to become a secondary Mastery Specialist, find out how here.
Read about other Maths Hubs work in the secondary phase in the NCETM’s Secondary magazine.
Related Twitter handles
- @surreyplusmaths (Surrey Plus Maths Hub)
- @NCETM (NCETM)
- @mathshubs (Maths Hubs)
- @NCETMSecondary (Secondary news from the NCETM)
- @stevejmcc (Steve McCormack)
Thursday Mar 01, 2018
Thursday Mar 01, 2018
A discussion where five teachers describe books—new and old—that have helped in their maths teaching.
Show notes:
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Martyn Yeo (@martynyeouk), primary maths teacher at an infants school in Nuneaton,
- Ben Gordon (@mathsmrgordon), secondary maths teacher at a school in Blackpool,
- Craig Barton (@mrbartonmaths) secondary maths teacher at a school in Bolton,
- Laura Tullock (@mrs_tullock) Deputy head at a primary school in north Tyneside, and also Teaching for Mastery Lead for the Great North Maths Hub,
- Mary Pardoe (@PardoeMary) Former maths teacher, with 40 years’ experience in maths education,
- Steve McCormack (@stevejmcc) NCETM Communications Director.
The books mentioned (some only fleetingly) in this podcast are:
Making Numbers, Rose Griffiths, Jenni Back and Sue Gifford
Making Every Lesson Count, Andy Tharby and Shaun Allison
How I Wish I’d Taught Maths, Craig Barton
Yes, but Why, Ed Southall
When the Adults Change, Everything Changes, Paul Dix
Seven Myths of Education, Daisy Christodoulou
Why Don’t Students Like School, Daniel T. Willingham
Practising Mathematics, ATM
Mathematical Mindsets, Jo Boaler
Memorable Teaching, Peps Mccrea
The Numberverse, Andrew Day
Starting Points, Banwell, Saunders and Tahta
Learning and Doing Mathematics, John Mason
Alex’s Adventures in Numberland, Alex Bellos
The Daily Stoic, Ryan Holiday
Most of these, and many more, were also mentioned on the NCETM Twitter chat (#mathscpdchat) in January 2018. You can read the full record of that discussion here.
Craig Barton also hosts a podcast centred on Maths teaching (in fact, if we’re honest, it provided inspiration for the NCETM podcast!)
Thursday Feb 01, 2018
Thursday Feb 01, 2018
A discussion around how learning about fractions builds across the four transition years from KS2 to KS3, set in a context of a Maths Hubs national project looking at continuity of maths learning generally from Year 5 to Year 8.
Show notes:
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Nicki Ashton, primary maths consultant in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and also leading a Work Group for the London South West Maths Hub.
- Alison Hopper, one of the NCETM’s Assistant Directors for primary maths.
- Robert Wilne, maths lead for a family of primary and secondary schools in London and Kent, and leading Work Groups for two London Maths Hubs.
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director.
You can find articles on the same theme as this podcast in two NCETM publications: Robert Wilne wrote about continuity in learning about subtraction in the January 2018 Primary Magazine. The January issue of the Maths Hubs newsletter, Bespoke, featured a breakdown of what incremental fractions learning might look like from Year 5 to Year 8.
Wednesday Jan 03, 2018
Wednesday Jan 03, 2018
How an English primary teacher had his maths lesson observed while in Shanghai, and how this style of group lesson observation and refinement is becoming (partially) replicated in Maths Hubs work in England.
Show notes:
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Jonathan Leeming, Mastery Specialist and primary school teacher in Lancaster. Read his account in the NCETM Primary magazine of being observed in Shanghai.
- Helen Madeley, Mastery Specialist and primary school teacher in Lancaster area, and also part of the leadership team of North North West Maths Hub.
- Steve McCormack (NCETM Communications Director)
In mid-January, 2018 the second wave of primary teachers from Shanghai arrive in England as part of the ongoing England-China exchange programme. They will spend two weeks teaching maths to primary school classes in Maths Hubs areas across England, including ‘showcase’ lessons where observation seating for up to 100 teachers is organised. Contact your local Maths Hub to find out if there’s a showcase near you in the week beginning Monday 22 January.
Wednesday Nov 29, 2017
Wednesday Nov 29, 2017
What did the exam boards learn when they marked papers taken by around 600 000 Year 11 students in the summer? And how can this help teachers prepare students for next summer?
Show notes:
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Andrew Taylor (AQA)
- Graham Cumming (Edexcel)
- Neil Ogden (OCR)
- Steve McCormack (NCETM Communications Director)
See the NCETM’s Qualifications and Curriculum section for regular updates and news in the area of all exams and curriculum area. And this recent edition of the NCETM’s Secondary magazine for an in-depth article on addressing the reasoning and problem-solving demands in the new GCSE.
The NCETM Maths podcast is produced by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), which is funded by the Department for Education to support all those teaching maths, to all age-groups, in schools and colleges in England, and those who provide and lead professional development activities for those teachers. This support is principally channelled through the Maths Hubs programme, which the NCETM leads, a central element of which is the Teaching for Mastery programme.
Tuesday Nov 14, 2017
Tuesday Nov 14, 2017
What GCSE grade should entitle a student to get on an A level maths course? The NCETM Director, Charlie Stripp, is challenged by two secondary maths teachers to defend his assertion that a Grade 5 at GCSE is good enough.
Show notes:
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Charlie Stripp (NCETM Director): Read his blog on post-16 maths.
- Jemma Sherwood: head of maths, and an SLE, at a secondary school in Worcestershire. Read her The World is Maths. Twitter: @jemmaths.
- Rob Beckett: maths teacher at a mixed secondary school, with a sixth form, in London. Twitter: @RBeckett_YD.
- Carol Knights (NCETM Secondary Director)
- Steve McCormack (NCETM Communications Director)
The NCETM Maths podcast is produced by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), which is funded by the Department for Education to support all those teaching maths, to all age-groups, in schools and colleges in England, and those who provide and lead professional development activities for those teachers. This support is principally channelled through the Maths Hubs programme, which the NCETM leads, a central element of which is the Teaching for Mastery programme.