In the outstanding lessons, the teachers had high expectations of pupils’ enjoyment and achievement. They made conscious efforts to foster a spirit of enquiry, developing pupils’ reasoning skills through approaches that saw problem-solving and investigation as integral to learning mathematics. They checked that everyone was challenged to think hard and they adapted how they were teaching to achieve this. As a result, their classrooms were vibrant places of learning.
(OFSTED 2008)
Planning
- Connections are made between the mathematics being taught and other areas (for example, within other areas of mathematics, cross- curricular links, real-life contexts or the children’s own experiences)
- There is a focus on developing understanding and mastering, rather than just following procedures
- The planned activities are varied, interesting, engaging and challenging for all children
- Knowledge of the National Curriculum is demonstrated through an emphasis on three aims: ‘fluency, reasoning and problem solving’
Teaching
- Be open to innovative ways of teaching in mathematics especially where problem-solving investigations are used in the lessons
- Explanations are accurate and demonstrate secure subject knowledge
- Accurate and appropriate mathematical vocabulary and notation is modelled and encouraged in the children
- Possible misconceptions are anticipated and explained using examples chosen to reveal and overcome these
- Well-chosen visual representations and practical resources (including the effective use of technology) are used to demonstrate procedures and model mathematical conceptual understanding
- There is an expectation for children to explain their methods and solutions to others and they are encouraged to articulate their thinking
Learning
- Resources are made available for the children to make the learning enjoyable and help them to grasp important concepts
- The children are given ample opportunity to talk, discuss, share ideas and build on the ideas of others in whole class, group and pair situations
- The children are actively involved in their learning and willing to ‘have a go’
- The children enjoy the lesson and ’move on’ in their learning
- Progression provides children with learning experiences which broaden and deepen their understanding (rather than accelerating them through the curriculum)
Assessment
- A variety of evidence of children’s approaches and achievements is collected by observing what they ‘do’, listening to what they ‘say’ and marking what they ‘produce’
- Questioning is differentiated (targeted and challenging) in order to advance the children’s reasoning
- Probing questions are used to develop and assess initial understanding and then to broaden and deepen conceptual understanding
- Responses to children’s questions and answers demonstrate confident subject knowledge
- Children’s participation and progress (‘emerging’, ‘developing’ or ‘competent’) is continuously monitored to inform ‘next steps’ in and teaching within and beyond the lesson