Kristin Coldwell, AC for Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes
The Radcliffe School in Milton Keynes kindly hosted a day of continuing professional development for teachers of A level Further Mathematics before the Easter holidays.
The day was aimed at helping teachers develop their subject knowledge in differential equations and vectors, both of which are compulsory topics in the all new specifications. In the past, schools and colleges might choose to teach one of FP2 and FP3 (or even FP4 in some cases), and so might not have taught one or both of these topics. At the same time, as the numbers of students taking A level Further Mathematics remains high, new teachers continue to be needed. The day consisted of explanations, worked examples, trying out teaching resources and practical experiments, all with the support of technology as appropriate.
Quotes from the day:
- “Very thorough detail given on what is required as well as how to approach these topics. Examples very useful.”
- “Clear explanations of tricky topics. The worked examples were much appreciated. Enthusiasm and passion for maths was wonderful. Inspired me! Knowledge and understanding of the difficulties too.”
- “Really enjoyed the experiment in the afternoon.”
This day was timed to support teachers who still had one or both of these topics to teach to current Year 13s, but there are a number of CPD days still to come this term to prepare teachers for the 2019-2020 academic year. These include:
- Intro to Mechanics at A level, 25th June in Norwich
- Intro to Topics in Year 2 Further Pure, date tbc (Beds/Milton Keynes area)
- Features of a good A level Maths lesson, 3rd July in Bayfordbury, Herts and Essex/Suffolk – date tbc
Please check our events listing page to find out about further events and to book your place.