The level of attainment in maths among students across the UK is regionally inconsistent, with students in some regions and schools achieving much better examination results than in others, and students in disadvantaged areas generally achieving poorer results. Until 2016, this was certainly the case in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, where the schools faced difficulties recruiting and retaining maths teachers. Following a less-than-positive Ofsted review and follow-up HMI review, the Stoke Maths Excellence Partnership (MEP) was established with initial funding from the Denise Coates Foundation and the Local Authority.
MEI’s work in Stoke-on-Trent aimed to support improvements in maths education at all levels by working closely with local schools and colleges to properly understand their maths education provision and development needs. This has enabled us to provide tailored expert support, advice and teacher professional development programmes at primary, secondary and post-16 level, enhancing and complementing national support available from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) and the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP), and the regional support available through the North Mids Maths Hub.
MEI’s underlying aim is to develop ways of working that can bring about long-term, sustained improvements to maths education outcomes in towns and cities where young people’s maths education outcomes are below national expectations.
The success of MEI’s work carried out so far in Stoke-on-Trent is reflected in the maths education performance data.
The diagram below gives an overview of MEI’s vision for how coordinated, locally-tailored support for teachers of maths across primary schools, secondary schools, and post-16 colleges can contribute to improved student outcomes in maths across a town or city.
This locally-tailored provision is integrated with national and regional level maths education support from the NCETM, the AMSP and the Maths Hubs to maximise impact.
Background
The Stoke-on-Trent Mathematics Excellence Partnership (MEP) was launched in 2016 to improve maths education outcomes across the city. One of the key findings of the HMI review in 2016 was that schools were working in isolation and that although there was good practice in the city, it was not being shared. Hence, from the start, the MEP took a coordinated and collaborative approach working with schools, colleges, and universities in the city to improve GSCE Mathematics outcomes.
Coordination of support
The collaboration between schools and colleges has been central to the success of the Stoke MEP. The MEP Project Leads, Ceri Bedford and Simon Bullock, have worked closely with schools and colleges to understand their maths education provision and development needs. Their local knowledge of maths education in Stoke, together with knowledge of other national and regional projects and initiatives, have enabled them to coordinate support and signpost schools to relevant opportunities. As an independent initiative, the Stoke MEP is able to work flexibly, adapting to the needs of schools and responding quickly to changing priorities and requests from schools.
MEI’s locally-tailored provision was integrated with national, government-funded maths education support from the NCETM and the AMSP, which MEI is involved in leading, and regional support from the North Mids Maths Hub.
Funding
The Stoke-on-Trent MEP has been backed by funding from Stoke-on-Trent City Council and a local charitable foundation trust. Building on its initial success, the programme expanded to support maths in primary schools in the city through additional government Opportunity Area funding.
Activities
Pupil activities have included intervention and revision events, maths roadshows, maths competitions and linking with holiday projects to ensure maths is kept alive in the holidays. Many of these events aim to stimulate interest in maths and for others the aim is to boost exam attainment.
Parental engagement has also been supported. The MEP has provided schools with materials to use with parents, such as Key Instant Recall Facts, summer challenges and videos of methodology used in schools.
The Stoke MEP has worked with Keele University Maths Department in several ways to promote teaching as a career to maths undergraduates. They have design and run maths education modules as an option in years 2 and 3 of the maths degree programme and offered students the opportunity of an internship working in the maths department in a local school. Maths undergraduates are also encouraged to support at student events.
MEI’s work with Stoke-on-Trent began in 2016, and the success of the partnership enabled the scope of the work to grow and evolve, with new areas brought very successfully into the original remit.
The professional development courses MEI has delivered have covered aspects of primary, secondary and post-16 maths. Courses include addressing specific topics such as effective approaches to teaching trigonometry, Pythagoras, and mechanics at A level; the use of technology to enhance secondary maths teaching; courses on teaching maths to greater depth in Year 6; and lesson design at primary that enhances and complements the NCETM Maths Hub provision. Other examples include courses on strategies for engaging lower attainers in Key Stage 4 and supporting students’ transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3.
MEI also developed and delivered bespoke maths education leadership professional development programmes for primary, secondary, and FE colleagues.
Working with the three local colleges, MEI led a successful project focusing on GCSE Mathematics resits for post-16 students. As well as tailored professional development delivered by our highly respected national experts, our GCSE resit work included running an innovative maths competition to help motivate students and build their confidence.
Impact
All schools and colleges in the city have engaged in either CPD or pupil activities. All secondary schools, 94% of primary schools, and 42 private nurseries in the city have engaged in professional development opportunities.
MEI’s tailored series of maths leadership professional development courses was completed by 45 secondary school teachers from 13 of Stoke’s secondary schools, and 52 primary school teachers from 38 of Stoke’s primary schools. Of those attending the secondary professional development, 28 (more than 60%) have since been promoted, eight of whom are now part of senior leadership teams in secondary schools across the city. Teachers from post-16 colleges have also benefitted, resulting in improved outcomes for GCSE Mathematics resit students.
The success of MEI’s maths education leadership programmes has supported the development of maths education leadership skills within the city, boosting the number of quality leaders in the subject and supporting maths teacher retention.
Recruitment and retention of teachers was a key issue when the MEP was launched in 2016. A local authority survey at that time showed that less than 50% of those teaching maths were maths trained.
The MEP funded 139 internships in secondary schools. 75 of these students have gone on to apply to do teacher training, 48 with training providers in the city, and 18 have teaching jobs in the city. The MEP focused on supporting people at each stage of career progression, keeping teachers in the city, making them feel valued and nurtured. By 2020, the proportion of those teaching maths who were maths trained had risen to 88%.
Teacher, teaching assistants, and leaders have reported they are more confident in their role and have greater subject knowledge and the proportion of schools judged by Ofsted as good or outstanding has increased. Many recent reports have commented that maths is a taught well, the curriculum is well-planned, and maths is a strength of the school.
MEI’s GCSE Mathematics resit work has helped 4,000 students improve their maths and approach their resits with more knowledge and confidence.
Maths leader and teacher networks are now well established, enabling effective sharing of good practice. The programmes have fostered a culture of collaboration and mutual support, enabling teachers to work together to help improve maths education outcomes for all students across the city.
The maths performance data are very encouraging:
GCSE Mathematics outcomes at the end of Key Stage 4
| Year | Grade A/A* (pre-2017) Grade 7+ (2017 onwards) | Grade 5+ (2017 onwards) | Grade C+ (pre-2017) Grade 4+ (2017 onwards) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 9.5% | 59% | |
| 2016 | 12.5% | 59% | |
| 2017 | 11.3% | 37.0% | 61% |
| 2018 | 13.3% | 41.3% | 62% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | 44.2% | 66% |
| 2021 | Data not reported | Data not reported | 65% |
| 2022 | Data not reported | Data not reported | 60% |
The average national proportions for the current GCSE Mathematics specifications, first examined in 2017, are 20% for grade 7+, 50% for grade 5+ and 70% for grade 4+.
The data in the table above show that significant progress was made prior to the pandemic, with an improving trend and the gaps between the Stoke results and the national averages narrowing year on year.
Participation in level 3 maths post-16
There has also been a substantial increase in the number of post-16 students completing level 3 maths qualifications.
| Year | A level Mathematics entries | A level Further Mathematics entries | A level Statistics entries | Core Maths entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 125 | 16 | 0 | 7 |
| 2018 | 152 | 21 | 12 | 17 |
| 2019 | 209 | 24 | 21 | 39 |
Level 3 Mathematics performance measure
This measure gives the proportion of students achieving a grade 4+ in GCSE Mathematics who go on to study maths at level 3 post-16.
| Year | Stoke MEP | National average |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 14.3% | 24.7% |
| 2018 | 23.1% | 28.7% |
| 2019 | 25.6% | 28.8% |
By 2019, Stoke had moved to be in the top 25 of 152 local authorities for the proportion of A level students who are studying A level Mathematics, 38%. The proportion of post-16 students studying a Level 3 maths qualification increased from 14.3% in 2017 to 25.6% in 2019.
GCSE Mathematics resit performance measure
This measure applies to students who achieved less than a grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics at age 16. It is the average change in GCSE Mathematics grade compared to the grade they achieved at age 16. Some post-16 students who did not achieve a grade 4+ in GCSE Mathematics take Functional Skills Mathematics qualifications, rather than re-sitting GCSE Mathematics. The performance points system enables these students’ Functional Skills Mathematics grades to be incorporated into the performance measure.
| Year | Stoke MEP | National average |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | -0.18 | 0.00 |
| 2018 | -0.09 | 0.05 |
| 2019 | 0.03 | 0.08 |
As for the other maths performance measures, the GCSE Mathematics resit performance measure shows that significant progress has been made. Performance in the Stoke MEP is increasing much faster than the national average, though there is still some room for improvement.
“By working with MEI, the Stoke-on-Trent Mathematics Excellence Partnership has benefitted from national expertise.
We have worked to a flexible model, asking schools how we can support them in developing teaching and learning – and MEI has created new CPD sessions, resources, and offered advice and guidance bespoke to the needs of the City’s maths community, filling in the gaps where support wasn’t previously available.
The flexibility and quality MEI has offered in supporting the development work has been amazing.”
Ceri Bedford, Project Lead, Stoke-on-Trent Mathematics Excellence Partnership
“Problem-solving skills have steadily improved over time. Students now seem to attempt more of this style of questions showing improved resilience.”
A teacher of maths who attended an MEI course
“What keeps maths teachers teaching? This sort of support, recognition and development.”
A leader of maths who attended an MEI course
“We’re delighted that Ofsted has highlighted the progress we have made with improving the success of students resitting GCSE Mathematics at Stoke College. The expert support we have had from the national maths education charity, MEI, made a significant contribution to this success.”
Geoff Willis, Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment at the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College