At Good2Learn, we love all things maths and sharing the latest news and information with our readers. Today we’re talking about the recently published guidance on Key Stage 3 mathematics from the Department for Education (DfE).
The new guidance prepared by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) contains comprehensive yet practical advice on teaching, focusing on building a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts to prepare pupils for Key Stage 4 and beyond. The guidance offers a new detailed ordering of the areas of maths that pupils should cover systematically from the start of year 7 through to year 9.
The thinking behind this new guidance is to assist teachers in delivering the KS3 curriculum more coherently, building connections between separate areas of maths. Greater emphasis is now placed on how different mathematical topics link back to KS2 and drive forward into KS4, meaning pupils will have a better understanding of mathematics instead of being dependent on recall to previous areas of learning alone.
Charlie Stripp, Director of the NCETM, said, “I strongly recommend that secondary school maths teachers use this new KS3 National Curriculum guidance. It supports teaching in a way that will encourage your students to engage with and understand maths.”.
Focusing on the 52 areas of mathematics, guidance will look to highlight common difficulties and misconceptions, provide working examples, and suggest questioning and other strategies to support teachers.
Teachers will be further assisted by frequent references to the guidance introduced in 2020 by the DfE for primary maths to help build those links in the later vital maths stages.
The DfE now recognises the subject of mathematics as being core to the entire curriculum, spanning and underpinning several other subject areas. Good2Learn’s ethos of supporting pupils to improve their skill and learning in maths and English in engaging and enjoyable ways, supports these aims. We certainly welcome the updated guidance on driving maths forward in our schools.
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