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
Jan 10, 2019
Jan 10, 2019
26 min
How does maths teaching in a secondary school in Shanghai look and feel to experienced observing teachers from secondary schools in England? Two Mastery Specialist teachers from North West England, who were among a group of teachers from Maths Hubs who visited Shanghai during school year 2018/19, give their impressions.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Jayne Watts, teacher at Alsager School and Secondary Teaching for Mastery Lead for North Mids and Peaks Maths Hub
- Dave Connell, 2nd in Maths at Loreto Grammar School, Altrincham, and Secondary Teaching for Mastery Lead for North West Two Maths Hub
- Gwen Tresidder, NCETM Communications Manager
Episode chapters
- 03:46 – Most striking things in the classroom
- 06:59 – Most striking things about the children
- 09:24 – Applying mastery in the English cultural context
- 11:05 – How Chinese students get ahead of their English peers
- 12:41 – Culture of collaborative working
- 16:01 – Lessons from teaching Chinese students
- 18:01 – Changing practice as a result of visit
- 22:20 – What about pupils that say ‘I can already do that’?
Information on where showcase lessons are being held in late January 2019.
Dec 11, 2018
Dec 11, 2018
30 min
How do you become a Mastery Specialist? What are the personal and professional benefits? How can you have impact in your own school? And what happens when your skills take you even further? Leanne Casey tells us about her experiences.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Leanne Casey, Primary Mastery Specialist and Deputy Head at St. Michael’s CE Primary School in Bedworth, Coventry (a two-form entry primary school)
- Beth Goodliff, NCETM Communications Officer
This podcast complements the Mastery Specialist information on the Maths Hubs website.
Episode chapters
- 00:45 – How Leanne became a Mastery Specialist
- 04:10 – Starting to work with other schools
- 05:45 – Getting buy-in from headteacher
- 07:20 – The context of Leanne’s school and its maths performance
- 09:00 – Convincing class teachers, even though maths results were good
- 14:15 – Keeping the mastery momentum going
- 17:30 – Embedding newly appointed teachers
- 20:45 – How Leanne has benefited personally
- 23:00 – Working on mastery with a different Maths Hub, in London
- 27:40 – Advice for a teacher considering applying to train as a Mastery Specialist
If you are interested in becoming a Mastery Specialist, contact your local Maths Hub. They will tell you when the next recruitment window opens, and how to apply.
Nov 23, 2018
Nov 23, 2018
37 min
How do young children (Reception age and below) develop their early mathematical thinking? How do those teaching them help the children build a platform of understanding? And where does maths fit in to the wider picture of childhood development? Two experts in the field explain.
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Dr Sue Gifford, Mathematics Education Department, Roehampton University
- Viv Lloyd, NCETM Assistant Director, Primary and Early Years Mathematics
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director
This podcast complements the information on Early Years maths on the NCETM website.
Episode chapters
07:48 - Comparison
10:38 - Cardinality
14:18 - Subitising
18:38 - Conservation
20:38 - Composition
24:18 - Pattern
26:28 - Shape and Space
27:53 - Measures
31:38 - Where maths fits in with other early learning
You may also be interested in this article on subitising, from a recent issue of the NCETM Primary Magazine.
Information on Maths Hubs work in the area of Early Years maths.
Oct 30, 2018
Oct 30, 2018
35 min
Two secondary teachers, one a head of department, explain how participating in a Maths Hub Work Group on mathematical thinking both helped their own teaching and sowed seeds of improvement in their departments.
Show notes:
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Satveer Bahia, from Platanos College, working with London Thames Maths Hub (@Mathshub_LT)
- Catriona Shearer (@CShearer41) from Saffron Walden County High School, working with Cambridge Maths Hub (@CamMathsHub)
- Steve McCormack, NCETM Communications Director
For information about all Maths Hubs projects and Work Groups, and to find contacts details for a Maths Hub near you, go to www.mathshubs.org.uk.
This article from a recent NCETM Secondary magazine gives more information and accounts about what a Maths Hubs Work Group entails.
Sep 18, 2018
Sep 18, 2018
40 min
Representatives from England’s three main exam boards share their thoughts with us on the questions they set, how students (and questions!) performed, what they learned from social media and much more.
Show notes:
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Andrew Taylor (AQA)
- Graham Cumming (Edexcel)
- Neil Ogden (OCR)
- Gwen Tresidder (NCETM Communications Manager)
Jul 18, 2018
Jul 18, 2018
31 min
An interview with a teacher who’s taught Core Maths since its launch in 2014, and who now has a national role shaping professional development for the growing numbers of teachers following in his footsteps.
Show notes: Taking part in the discussion are:
- Tom Rainbow, Maths teacher, Ivybridge Community College, Devon, and Core Maths Professional Development Lead for the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP).
- Steve McCormack NCETM Communications Director
- At time of writing, the Further Mathematics Support Programme website remains operational, but preparations are underway for the launch of the new Advanced Mathematics Support Programme website, which will carry information about Core Maths support from the AMSP.
- Information about the Advanced Maths Premium
- To find out about Core Maths CPD activities (Work Groups) run by Maths Hubs, in collaboration with AMSO, please contact your local Maths Hub to find out what is available.
Jun 29, 2018
Jun 29, 2018
32 min
Listen to three secondary maths teachers discuss the best CPD they have taken part in. What really works and why, and how do they think CPD can contribute to career progression?
Show notes
Taking part in the discussion are:
- Kathryn Darwin (@arithmaticks), Second in Mathematics Faculty at The Mirfield Free Grammar in Mirfield, West Yorkshire
- Fiona Roberts (@fn_husker), Head of Mathematics Faculty at The Mirfield Free Grammar in Mirfield, West Yorkshire
- Ben Sheedy, Co-Head of Maths at Ridgewood School in Doncaster, South Yorkshire
- Beth Goodliff, NCETM Communications Officer
The Mirfield Free Grammar is an 11-18 non-selective comprehensive school of approximately 1,500 students. Ridgewood School is an 11-18 non-selective comprehensive school of approximately 1,400 students.
Find out more about the CPD opportunities on offer for you and your colleagues, including secondary teaching for mastery 2018-19, through the Maths Hubs.
Jun 12, 2018
Jun 12, 2018
30 min
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.
May 25, 2018
May 25, 2018
1hr 3 min
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.
May 11, 2018
May 11, 2018
35 min
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)