The New Curriculum – An opportunity for creativity

Progress

Overview

The new Key Stage 3 Programme of Study states that:

“Mathematics equips pupils with uniquely powerful ways to describe, analyse and change the world”

This module will enable you to focus on the Key Processes in the Programme of Study and to consider how your pupils can make progress in the Key Processes. You will be able to think about your pupils’ current curriculum experience. After watching the video clip, and thinking about the features of a successful project, you will decide how your pupils can further develop their skills in the Key Processes.

Where are you now?

The new Key Stage 3 Programme of Study defines the Key Processes as:

‘the essential skills and processes in mathematics that pupils need

to learn to make progress’

These Key Processes are defined as :

  • Representing
  • Analysing- using mathematical reasoning
  • Analysing- using mathematical procedures
  • Interpreting and Evaluating
  • Communicating and Reflecting

(see Appendix 3 for details)

What opportunities do pupils in your school have to make progress in the Key Processes? Are these opportunities made explicit to the pupils?

Activity A

Think about a recent activity you have done in your classroom. Explain to
a partner how you think this activity helped pupils to make progress in the
Key Processes.

Activity B

Watch the video clip.

Now working in pairs, think about Dominic’s project - ‘The Great West Park Getaway’ in which students plan how far away they can get from school spending only £50.

What would you expect to see in a successful project? Would the distance from school achieved be the only criteria for judging the outcomes? What would make one project better than another?

Devise some success criteria which you could give to students to help them understand how to make good progress with this project.

Activity C

Amy, on the video, says the following things about her pupils:

Working with a partner, write down three ways that you could help pupils in your school to develop these skills.

Reflection

As a result of your conversations today, think about the things that you could do in your lessons to help pupils make progress in the Key Processes

Implementing and continuing to learn

Consider the activities you have engaged in today.

- write down in your learning journal one thing that you can do tomorrow to help a group of pupils to make progress in the Key Processes?

- as a department think about things you will do to help all pupils make progress in the Key Processes?

Web links

QCA programme of study

Appendices:

Appendix 1: Resume of lessons

George Hardy (The NorthamptonAcademy) works on a project with his Year ? class which focuses on students finding the volume and surface area of composite shapes using the cone and sphere

Amy Rouse (WestParkSchool, Derby) runs a project with her Year ? class who are required to plan a healthy week for themselves or a partner

Karen Hancock (OrielHigh School, Crawley) uses the context of the frequencies of musical notes to encourage her Year ? class to develop a deeper understanding of ratios, powers and roots

Dominic Hudson (WestParkSchool, Derby) introduces his Year ? class to an annual unit of work called ‘The Great West Park Getaway’ in which students plan how to get as far as possible from their school spending only £50.

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Appendix 2: Amy’s quote

Appendix 3



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