Overview

Theme: Investigating how A-Level students are assessed in Pure Maths and how this could inform your practice

Level 3 Maths Work Groups are sustained professional development programmes, run in partnership by Maths Hubs and the AMSP. Each Work Group is an ongoing collaboration between teachers from local schools and colleges led by an expert in maths professional development.

Developing A level Pedagogy Work Groups provide national support for the effective development of pedagogy in the teaching of A level Mathematics, to enhance the quality of teaching and the conceptual understanding of students, and the development of participants as leaders of A level teaching professional development in their own school or college.

Aims

• be more confident to teach aspects of the content at a greater depth
• apply related pedagogical approaches in their A level teaching for greater impact on student learning
• support colleagues in their own school/college in embedding themes from the Work Group in their teaching of A level mathematics
• become a part of a developing community of practice

Who will benefit from attending?

It is suitable for existing leaders of A level teaching or experienced teachers of A level Mathematics who wish to lead the development of pedagogy in A level teaching with other colleagues in their own or other schools.

Teachers will find this Work Group particularly useful if they have previously completed AS/A level Mathematics professional development, and want to influence their department's approach to teaching A level in the future.

Content

Theme: Investigating how A-Level students are assessed in Pure Maths and how this could inform your practice

Within the theme of the Work Group, participants will:

• Identify transferable skills
• Explore how prior knowledge and visualizing unlocks questions
• Spot patterns from year to year (and from International A levels) in A levels
• Expand questions and variation of questions
• Consider use of foundational skills
• Support independency of students
• Create new questions that reflect the exam patterns
  

Other information

Schools/colleges must be able to commit to the full programme of professional development which involves a total of three days (or equivalent) of Work Group sessions as well as classroom and practice-based activity which is an integral feature of these Work Groups. Participants must also be supported by their school/college leadership to explore outcomes from the project with other colleagues in their department.

Cost

State-funded schools, colleges and academies can participate in this Work Group for free.

Otherwise costs are as follows:

Online - £355 or Blended/face to face - £525

Study schedule

Participant feedback

 ‘I’ve gained a deeper understanding into the mindset of examiners and what they are looking to extract from students by their choice and design of questioning’

‘I am now starting to recognise conceptual patterns within A level papers.’

‘Considering some of the exam traps set by the examiners helped (me) to widen my variation of questions and in particular combinations of topics.’

‘This has been a great help to allow me to understand some topics that I haven’t taught a lot of times in the past.’

‘I was able to prompt and lead a discussion to help students piece together the question ... I was only confident enough to give those type of question and lead the discussion as I had time in these meet ups to do the question myself and discuss with others.’

[impact on practice] ‘Use of modelling questions and appreciate the anxiety of students while completing questions, use of prior knowledge and visualizing.’

‘The dynamic visualization representing the relations among functions with the aid of Desmos helps a lot in supporting student intuitive understanding if a concept.’

Key facts

• Reference:#13824
• Audience:Teachers
• Curriculum focus:A level Mathematics
• Format:Blended
• Duration:15
• Region:London
• Venue:Chiswick School
  Burlington Lane
  London
  W4 3UN
• Start date:06 Nov 2024
• Course times:13:00 - 16:00
• Fee:Free