SATURDAY 15 MARCH 2025, BRACKNELL SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2025, NOTTINGHAM SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2025, MANCHESTER

‘Mastery’ in Maths particularly - does it mean the same to everyone?

Aged 14, I was assessed with a reading comprehension age of 6.6 years. I was at the top of the top set for Maths but could hardly read! My parents had me assessed and paid privately for me to have 1-1 lessons. I was lucky! Aged 16 - I passed my GCSE English first time - it was a miracle!

This is a ‘real’ life teacher - seems to be in control and on top of things. 4 weeks in - many teachers pretend they are ok but are already ‘behind’. In our push to improve, we need to have ‘what it’s really like to be a teacher in 2024’ at the forefront of our mind: @patricebain.bsky.social

www.emaths.co.uk/images/Inter... @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @brunoreddy.bsky.social @jwrightmaths.bsky.social Only 14 minutes - it’s a must-listen - on @markmccourt.bsky.social book ‘Teaching for Mastery’. ‘Ah ha moments - pupils truly owning the knowledge’

October’s Real PCD Maths Challenge - don’t wait until half term….. Only 14 minutes of your life - it’s a must-listen if you want to really make a difference. It’s all about kids getting those ‘ah ah’ moments and truly owning the knowledge. www.emaths.co.uk/images/Inter...

www.emaths.co.uk/images/Inter... @markmccourt.bsky.social new CPD maths book. Teaching for Mastery. Only 14 minutes Students getting those ‘ah ha’ moments - and truly owning the knowledge.

Wonderful from NCETM “Foulds and Thomas call for a curriculum that supports pupils to apply learning fluently before moving on. The NCETM, Maths Hubs and the thousands of teachers who have already embedded a mastery pedagogy agree and support this call for change.” www.ncetm.org.uk/features/ali...

This!

I am looking for someone to create a font for word, where: 1 - would be just a straight line 4 - would be opened not closed 9 - would be a c on top of a stick @brunoreddy.bsky.social

Is there anyone out there who could (or knows someone who could) create a font for word for handwritten numbers ? 1 4 9 Instead they would look like how we would like a youngsters to write these numbers.

Most schools use White Rose Maths which has some wonderful resources and a clear progression from one year to the next. Many academics have never actually taught using this scheme - so professionals who are teachers in the here & now, probably have much more idea of what does & doesn’t work.

@primarypete.me @jwrightmaths.bsky.social

Fluency Assessment Proposal Just like phonics…. MTC - Multiplication Tables Check Y4 Re-takes Y5 ATC - Addition Tables Check Y2 Re-takes Y3 @brunoreddy.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social

Absolutely agree that fine motor control needs to be in place before any teaching of handwriting. Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play with small world activities, puzzles, arts and crafts and using small tools, with feedback and support from adults.

My biggest bug-bare is the printed 4 and 9 on worksheets….nothing like the way we are asking young children to write them. @markmccourt.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @brunoreddy.bsky.social @jwrightmaths.bsky.social

Only the other day - a colleague told me I was an absolute zealot where forming numbers correctly was concerned. I didn’t disagree! Have you ever considered that we are teaching children to write 2345 at the same time as cadog? Numbers start top left Those letters start top right?

I think it’s absolutely a thing. It’s something I discovered working in EYFS in 2017 and devised a programme to sort it out. Now I’m teaching Y7 - Y11 Incorrect handwriting of numbers I now see as a massive barrier to learning. Kids read their own numbers incorrectly and so make mistakes.

Key ideas about reading from @suchmo83.bsky.social It doesn’t stop at children being expert at phonics!

After 1 is formed from top middle, 2345 from top left, 6890 are formed from top right, with 7 back to top left Is this causing cognitive confusion - especially as the letters caogd have the opposite staring point to 2345? @brunoreddy.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @markmccourt.bsky.social

In maths - how young does cognitive confusion start? I believe when we are teaching children to form numbers at the same time as forming letters. Opposite starting points; opposite orientations: are we explicit? @brunoreddy.bsky.social @markmccourt.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social

Have you ever considered that we are teaching children to write 2345 at the same time as cadog? These numbers starting at the top left and those letters starting at the top right? @brunoreddy.bsky.social @markmccourt.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social

Absolutely agree that phonics without the teaching of the spelling of those others few thousand words that don’t work phonetically (about 50% of words in the English Language) is dire for kids learning to spell. @peterfoulds77.bsky.social

In March this year, a set off on a solo walk across the entire length of Britain, from Land’s End to John O’Groats. It is the most extraordinary and life changing experience I’ve ever had. I published a daily video and blog documenting the journey. markwalks.com

'Two negatives make a positive' - hard-wiring what’s not always correct? -10 + -3 = -13 Are teachers causing what I call ‘Cognitive Confusion’? Can we eradicate? @jwrightmaths.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @brunoreddy.bsky.social @markmccourt.bsky.social @sarahjwaite.bsky.social

‪ 'Two negatives make a positive' - is it hard-wiring what’s not always correct? -3+-7=-10. Where’s the two negatives making a positive? Teachers causing what I call ‘Cognitive Confusion’? Does teaching phonics sometimes hard-wire & incuridge kids to spell incorrectly? @suchmo83.bsky.social

Andrew, I’m afraid I agree with @peterfoulds77.bsky.social “I guess that depends on how you interpret what you said; the way many have interpreted that order has led to appalling maths for many children with them sag doing problems they simply know they will get wrong.” @jwrightmaths.bsky.social

Primary Maths - do less but do it better. Agree or disagree?

This is really good on how the primary maths curriculum could do less, but better. www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

“A must read for primary and maths teachers and leaders.” @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @brunoreddy.bsky.social

So many primary schools teach ‘comprehension’ most days, yet, by a long way, not all children reach the expected level at the end of KS2 - let alone attain at greater depth. @suchmo83.bsky.social

It is important that teachers don’t think that once children ‘know’ phonics, reading fluency is nailed. We’re far less than half way there - in decoding alone….and possibly have some children hard-wired to thinking everything can be read by ‘sounding out’ alone. @suchmo83.bsky.social

Approximately 50% of words aren’t phonetic. Children understanding and knowing the nuances of how non-phonetic words are pronounced (with links to their derivations) cannot be underestimated. @suchmo83.bsky.social

Prosody: the understanding of how to apply the patterns of stress and intonation in a language needs to be learnt and applied, so that children can read the words of a text one after the other and make meaning. @suchmo83.bsky.social

Sometimes we say, “Read with expression!” but are children clear what we mean? @suchmo83.bsky.social

Is it the comprehension of a text that children struggle with - or is it reading the text for themself with understanding that hinders attainment? @suchmo83.bsky.social

The sky in Cumbria at 7am this morning….makes you feel so good to be alive!

Which path are you taking?

The most amazing podcast ever on instant recall of addition facts to 20. If you haven’t got time to listen to it all - just listen to the last 5 minutes. @jwrightmaths.bsky.social m.youtube.com/watch?v=fbB6...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=L3Mu... @jwrightmaths.bsky.social

My order for instant recall of addition to 20: +1, +0, easy doubles, 5+5, 4+5, 5+5, 3+5, 3+4, 3+6. +10, easy doubles and teen, +11, +2, +12, pairs that make 10/20, doubles, doubles+1, doubles+1+10, +9, 8+3, 8+6, 7+5, 8+5, 8+4, 7+4 @brunoreddy.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social

Being able to recall Times Tables Facts isn’t as vital as being able to recall addition facts to 20 I know I’ll be making a difference when I’m asked, “Are you the lady who is obsessed with pupils having instant recall of addition facts to 20?” @brunoreddy.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social

The other day, I was in the bathroom of restaurant and a lady said, “Do I know you? You look very familiar.” Then she said, “I know - you’re the Times Tables Lady.” She was a TA in a school I’d been working with the previous week. @brunoreddy.bsky.social @peterfoulds77.bsky.social

My order 2004 - times tables to instant recall….ease of remembering: 10x, 11x, 2x, square facts, 5x, 9x, 12x Now just 10 facts to be able to recall 3x4, 7x8 8x3, 6x4, 4x8 3x7, 3x6 4x7, 6x7, 6x8 Oh so like @brunoreddy.bsky.social heat maps @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @markmccourt.bsky.social

After 34 years of research - my order to help pupils to total instant recall of times tables - especially for those who struggle. This is not necessarily the order that times tables need to be taught for understanding.

In an ideal world, should all children attend a school-based nursery? If so, from what age? @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @suchmo83.bsky.social @mathsjem.bsky.social @rastokke.bsky.social @sarahfarrellks2.bsky.social

Fluency is one of the NCETM’s big 5. How about this as an idea for improving outcomes in KS2 Maths SATs, GCSE Maths, Re-takes of GCSE Maths. @peterfoulds77.bsky.social @brunoreddy.bsky.social @markmccourt.bsky.social @mralmonded.bsky.social @sarahjwaite.bsky.social @suchmo83.bsky.social

Your phonics results are good, even excellent - but a good handful of children are still failing to reach the expected level by the end of Key Stage 2? Maybe contact or at least read his blog. @suchmo83.bsky.social

Unbelievably Proud Teacher Moment. I became the Year 5 and 6 teacher of a Paralympian - Charlie Harding. On Monday, aged 21, Charlie was the guide for Oscar Kelly in the PTVI Triathlon at the Paralympics in Paris. They came 7th in the world! The podium awaits them in LA in 2028, 2032……

I think it may depend which school(s) you work(ed) in. I started in 1990. I taught on an extremely joyful school Y5/6 for 10 years from 2008-2018. High academic record, brilliant work in PE and Music/Drama. Outstanding through 2 inspections. From 1990-2008 in 5 schools - pure joy every day!