Making Good Progress in KS2 Mathematics

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Making Good Progressin KS2 Mathematics
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Focusing on progression

• Key questions
• In what ways do we track for progression across
  the school and in each class?
• How is this information used to identify those
  children who are making slow progress?
• Which children and specific groups of children
  are currently identified through our tracking?
• What actions are we taking to support these
  children?

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Key Stage 2 Maths (2007)
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High Attaining Pupils Key Stage 2 Maths (2007)
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School Pupil Progression Chart

• Paste from RAISEonline Mathematics
• Instruction on adding pupil progression charts
  from RAISEonline
• Once you have logged onto RAISEonline and found
  the Pupil Progression chart you want in your
  presentation, you need to
• On the select a format drop down menu, choose
  Acrobat (PDF) file
• Click on Export
• Click on Open
• Once you have the PDF open, click on tools,
  select Select Zoom and click on Snapshot
  tool.
• Using the cursor select the area you want to copy
  to your presentation.
• When you let go of the left click on your mouse
  it should say Selected area has been copied
  Click ok.
• Go to the power point slide, right-click on mouse
  and select paste.
• You can adjust the chart size using the circles
  in each corner of the image

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Discussion (1)

• Consider the national pupil progression charts
  for Key
• Stage 2 mathematics and the schools own charts
  
• How does the schools charts compare to the
  national ones?
• Who are the children in your class who are
  potentially slow moving or falling behind?
• What are some of the reasons for these pupils
  making slow progress in mathematics?

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Investigating progress in mathematics at Key
Stage 2 (1)

• The findings presented on subsequent slides arise
  from two separate investigations focusing on
  slow movers in mathematics, identified in terms
  of conversion from Level 2 at KS1 to Level 4 at
  KS2 and from Level 3 at KS1 to Level 5 at KS2
• The schools involved in the investigations were
  selected on the basis of their KS1 to KS2
  conversion rates
• A relatively small sample of 39 schools was chosen

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Investigating progress in mathematics at Key
Stage 2 (2)

• The investigations included
• Focused discussions with approximately 230
  children in Year 4 and Year 6
• Discussions with headteachers, subject leaders
  teachers
• The findings have been cross-checked with
  evidence obtained by Ofsted, the National
  Strategies and the Training and Development
  Agency for Schools (TDA) and appropriate actions
  agreed with these partners

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Pen portrait of slow movingchildren in
mathematics (1)

• The children
• were often girls
• were generally well behaved and had a positive
  approach to learning
• were often described as invisible children
• didnt like answering questions in front of the
  class
• tended to work on their own
• would sit with their hand up but not always be
  noticed

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Pen portrait of the slow moving children in
mathematics (2)

• Children struggling to make progress from
• Level 2 to Level 4
• lacked self confidence
• judged how good they were by the number of ticks
  and crosses in their books
• usually persevered with the task set, especially
  when it was routine and of limited challenge
• produced neat work that was set out in the
  required way

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Pen portrait of the slow moving children in
mathematics (3)

• Children struggling to make progress from
• Level 3 to Level 5
• were tentative and cautious when starting a new
  topic
• liked to be able to get on with their work
• liked discussing and working in pairs or small
  groups so long as the pupils were of similar
  ability but did not do this often
• wanted to be taught more as a small group
• could distinguish between getting all the answers
  right and developing understanding
• did not like wasting time
• liked quiet thinking time
• knew that maths is important and wanted to do
  well

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Pen portrait of the slow moving children in
mathematics (4)

• A small number of the children struggling to
  make progress from Level 3 to Level 5
• tended to be over-confident and rushed their
  work, often making mistakes
• were competitive and wanted to finish first
• were demanding of the teachers attention and
  misbehaved if ignored
• often wasted time if they finished early

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Discussion (2)

• Do you have pupils in your class that fit these
  profiles?
• Which of the characteristics most closely match
  those of the children in your class who are
  potentially slow moving or falling behind?

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Slow moving pupils starting at Levels 2 and 3
in mathematics

• Do you have pupils who
• struggle to explain their thinking and methods?
• have difficulty in remembering and using
  mathematical vocabulary?
• lack flexibility with number, for example, they
  struggle to identify related facts from those
  they know?
• tend to rely on one method when calculating and
  solving
• problems?
• struggle with problems, particularly those that
  involve two or more steps?
• lack self help strategies?

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Obstacles hindering progression from Level 2 to
Level 4 in mathematics (1)

• Typically pupils
• were weak at mental calculation - they had few
  mental calculation skills and were reluctant to
  use them
• had difficulty in keeping intermediate
  information in their heads
• had a preference for using formal written methods
  which they considered better than mental methods,
  but made mistakes

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Obstacles hindering progression from Level 2 to
Level 4 in mathematics (2)

• Typically pupils
• lacked images and models such as number lines to
  help with visualising mathematics
• experienced a low level of challenge and tended
  to work within their comfort zone
• developed a low appetite for risk taking

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Obstacles hindering progression from Level 3 to
Level 5 in mathematics (1)

• Typically pupils
• had a range of mental calculation skills but had
  difficulty selecting the most efficient method
• were better at adding and multiplying mentally
  than subtracting and dividing
• were not aware of the importance of reading a
  calculation and deciding whether to do it
  mentally, with jottings or use a formal written
  method
• had difficulty with understanding place value of
  decimals and relating fractions to their decimal
  representations

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Obstacles hindering progression from Level 3 to
Level 5 in mathematics (2)

• Typically pupils
• were familiar with visual images such as number
  lines but did not appreciate the value of them to
  aid calculation
• had difficulty seeing the relationships and
  connections in mathematics
• did not understand division
• had weak calculator skills

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Discussion (3)

• Which of the descriptions and obstacles to
  progress are most pertinent to the pupils you
  teach?

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What all slow moving pupils in Key Stage 2 need
in mathematics (1)

• Activities and approaches to help engage pupils
  in mathematical thinking
• To use mathematical vocabulary and language to
  express their explanations and thinking with
  other pupils and their teacher in all mathematics
  lessons
• Confidence and greater flexibility with number
  and calculation through shared discussion about
  links and how alternative methods work

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What all slow moving pupils in Key Stage 2 need
in mathematics (2)

• To explore and focus on how and why different
  methods work rather than just on the answer, e.g.
  devising questions for a fixed answer, exploring
  when statements are true and false, matching
  linked facts
• Time and support in developing independent
  learning and self-help strategies, e.g. comparing
  approaches when stuck, referring to displays,
  etc.

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What pupils need to support progression in
mathematics from Level 2 to Level 4

• A greater focus on the use of mental calculation
  strategies
• To develop a range of mental calculation
  strategies through guided teaching to help them
  choose efficient methods
• Support in deciding when a mental or written
  method is more appropriate and why
• To see, use and evaluate different approaches to
  solving a problem
• More opportunities to use images and models to
  help with visualising mathematics e.g. using
  number lines more flexibly
• A greater level of challenge, including
  experience of working in a range of different
  groups
• Support and encouragement to take risks so that
  they are less anxious about always getting the
  right answer

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What pupils need to support progression in
mathematics from Level 3 to Level 5

• Practice on how to read calculations and decide
  on the most efficient approach
• Paired and small group work to explore and
  evaluate different methods and approaches
• Further guidance on the use and value of visual
  images to aid calculation
• Time to explore relationships and connections in
  mathematics e.g. between fractions, decimals and
  percentages
• To address their weaknesses with division, e.g.
  through strengthening the links between
  subtraction and division and helping them to see
  the relationship between multiplication and
  division
• Practice in using a calculator in activities that
  involve mental calculation strategies and
  reasoning

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Discussion (4)

• Next steps
• What do you think are the key issues arising from
  this session for the school?
• How can they be addressed at senior leader,
  subject leader and class teacher levels?