Tom Rainbow, AC for North Somerset, Devon (East) and Somerset
With many schools and colleges introducing Core Maths into their Level 3 curriculum this year, and more thinking ahead to the next year with a view to starting it then, demand for Core Maths professional development for teachers has never been higher.
Core Maths is an exciting and vibrant course that aims to connect the maths our students learn with the world they live in. Teaching it can be a thrilling and yet daunting prospect, especially for those who have not taught it before. The contextualisation of maths within authentic settings may well require the development of a different set of skills to those used in the delivery of A level and GCSE mathematics.
As a result, the AMSP has provided a number of professional development opportunities this year for teachers of Core Maths. As well as our large scale Regional Conferences (running through December and January, with a focus on supporting more experienced Core Maths teachers), Area Coordinators will also be organising bespoke local Core Maths training days. Details of these can be found on the AMSP’s events listings page.
The first two Core Maths Area Coordinator days have now been held, both in the South West of England. The first of these ran in October, taking place in Keynsham near Bath (many thanks to Wellsway School for hosting the event), and the second ran at Plymouth University in early November. These were organised by star ACs Pat Cobb and Margaret Harding respectively.
Around thirty teachers attended, most of whom were new to teaching Core Maths – some were ‘fact finding’ for next year – and both days featured a mix of rich discussion, collaboration and challenges. With a focus on the craft of creating current, relevant and accessible resources, whilst being mindful of how busy teachers are, the days were well received and many teachers who have attended are looking to sign up for some of our other Core Maths professional development offers, all of which have been designed to offer a complementary yet unique experience.
With many more Core Maths events being run by the AMSP (including planned Spring days in Tewkesbury and Salisbury) throughout the course of this year, keep checking the AMSP’s events listing for updates. If there is not something of a Core Maths nature happening near you, please let us know!