Securing Foundations at Year 7
Discover ways to help students who need additional support to make good progress in KS3 and beyond
Background
National data indicates that, since Covid, there has been an increase in the number of students not meeting Age Related Expectations (ARE) by the end of KS2, and that the gaps in knowledge for some in Year 7 are wider and deeper than in previous years; this is supported by evidence from a recent NCETM teacher survey.
Year 7 teachers are also reporting that they feel insufficiently equipped to teach these students mathematical content from much earlier in the curriculum.
The Ofsted maths report published in 2023 reported findings which indicate that students for whom learning maths is more challenging fail to grasp early concepts, which increasingly hampers their progress through the curriculum. By KS3, these students are unable to understand, let alone apply, new knowledge. This, coupled with a lack of opportunity to reason mathematically or solve problems, results in some students in Year 7 being unable to access the KS3 curriculum, and hence they require substantial remediation to enable them to make progress.
Who can take part?
This project is for teachers working with those Year 7 students who have not met age related expectations in maths, particularly students whose attainment is in the bottom 20-30% of the national cohort at the end of KS2. It is suitable for experienced or novice teachers.
What is involved?
This project aims to provide professional development and resources for secondary maths teachers, so they are better equipped with KS1 and KS2 maths curriculum domain-specific knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. It will give them the necessary expertise to support students with gaps in understanding content from previous Key Stages.
Participants in this project will gain access to high-quality resources designed by experts in the pedagogy and expectations of maths at both KS2 and KS3.
What will you learn?
- Your students will make progress so they are better able to access a suitable KS3 curriculum
- You will develop your pedagogic and content knowledge of KS1 and KS2 maths
- You will consider approaches which support all
- You will work as part of a professional learning community to reflect on your approaches, deepen your understanding about effective approaches, and refine your practice
What is the cost?
The Securing Foundations at Year 7 project is fully funded by the Maths Hubs Programme so is free to participating schools.
How can I get involved?
This programme is now fully booked. If you would like to express an interest in taking part in a future cohort, please complete the expression of interest form: