Greater than the sum Engagement and Enjoyment in Mathematics Education: a new partnership for Greater Manchester’s universities and schools 1
Engagement and Enjoyment in Mathematics Education
Engagement and Enjoyment in The University of Manchester and Mathematics Education (EEME) Manchester Metropolitan University is a new partnership between have formed a new partnership to Manchester’s universities helping our help schools solve this challenge. young learners to discover their love EEME is bringing maths experts of maths. from both institutions together with schools to inspire teachers and The toughest maths problem of our learners alike. The partnership will time won’t be found in any textbook. work collaboratively with existing Yet in classrooms across Greater maths networks including the Greater Manchester, they seek to answer it Manchester Maths Hubs, the National every day: Centre for Excellence in the Teaching How can we give every child and of Mathematics and the Advanced young person the best possible Mathematics Support Programme. chance to reach their potential in By creating a happier, more confident maths? classroom, we aim to boost the chances of learners to progress in maths, to help overcome the socioeconomic barriers to success and, ultimately, contribute to greater achievement for the good of contents our city-region. Together we’re greater than the Manchester’s maths challenge 2 sum of our parts. 4 Finding the solution together
6 Priorities for the partnership
8 Work with us 2 Addressing the Challenge 3 We’ve looked at maths performance across the key stages over a three- year period and many schools are performing in line with or above the national average. However, there are a significant number of schools where performance is well below the national average and this often Manchester’s correlates with the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Primary
maths challenge While the average attainment level is in line with national standards, there are substantial differences within Greater Manchester with IMPROVING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF YOUNG PEOPLE IS A 16% of schools well below the national average. REGIONAL PRIORITY. MORE THAN TWO-FIFTHS OF ALL YOUNG PEOPLE IN GREATER MANCHESTER LEAVE SCHOOL WITHOUT THE EQUIVALENT OF FIVE GCSES INCLUDING ENGLISH AND MATHS, A KEY INDICATOR OF FUTURE SUCCESS.* Secondary
The Greater Manchester Combined The view from the classroom • Helping teachers to access At secondary level, 32% of schools are well below the national Authority has a target to support the most recent mathematical Of course addressing these average by 10% or more. Twenty-seven schools are more than 17% schools to drive up levels of education research and how this inequalities is a wider-reaching achievement and close the gaps in can be applied in the classroom. below the national average where only 53% or less of pupils reach a challenge than can be solved in the performance seen across the city- classroom. So how can schools give • Improving links between the region. standard pass. Students in Greater Manchester are also less likely our learners the best possible start? work being developed in schools And how can our universities and initial teacher education to achieve a strong pass at GCSE (new grade 5). support them? and training. We asked our local schools. This is • Supporting evaluation to determine what they said: what strategies and interventions “Our vision is to are most effective. make Greater • Maths undergraduates in the Post-16 classroom in a sustained way, While half of Greater Manchester’s local authorities’ A-level Manchester one of to familiarise students with the best places in problem-solving approaches maths uptake is above the national average, there are substantial and to increase aspirations. the world to grow differences between local authorities. This variation is also seen • Introducing secondary school up, get on and grow learners to university mathematics in the pass rate, so while the average pass rate for Greater old … a place where to encourage and increase take-up Manchester is in line with the national average, there are significant post-16. all children are differences between different areas of the city-region. given the best start in life and young people grow up inspired to exceed expectations.”
Our people, our place: The Greater Manchester Strategy
* www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/media/1084/greater_manchester_summary___full_version.pdf 4 Mapping Manchester’s expertise 5 Here’s a snapshot of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University’s combined mathematical and educational footprint. 1,431 Number of UG maths Finding the students 11 solution together Number of academics involved in mathematical MANCHESTER’S A CITY THAT FAMOUSLY DOES THINGS research DIFFERENTLY. COULD WE TEACH DIFFERENTLY TOO? 50 10,924 Number of Number of UG EEME aims to increase the But we also want to work closely with Case study: trainee Maths students studying confidence of learners and teachers our city’s schools and educational North West One Maths Hub teachers maths-related alike by helping them build on existing organisations to understand the The North West One Maths Hub best practice and develop a fresh needs of teachers and learners, courses has a long history of working with perspective on maths. Together, The helping to remove the barriers to Manchester’s universities to deliver University of Manchester (UoM) and engagement and enjoyment of maths. national projects, for example Manchester Metropolitan University Multiplicative Reasoning and the (Man Met) will give teachers access Big numbers, bigger benefit Maths Education Strategy Hub. Current outreach programmes to the latest research and help them Together, Manchester’s universities apply this to their practice. Over this period, a collegiate have a track record of innovation and professional learning community Fun with Robots achievement in the STEM subjects. has been established. Several staff A talk aimed at years 2 to 6 on the future of robotics and the Together their heritage includes at the universities support the Maths significant role mathematics plays. “Man Met has great minds such as the WWII Hub as critical friends, mentors and deep roots in codebreaker Alan Turing and coaches, and an innovation work “From Alan Turing to breakthroughs including the first group has been developed to engage PopMaths Quiz the community, Ernest Rutherford, stored-program computer and the classroom teachers with research. Designed for school children in Year 7-11 this quiz will test students’ taking students wonder material graphene. They lead Examples of impactful work knowledge and skills in mathematics. from our city and Brian Cox and the world in mathematics education from the collaboration include a Danielle George, research, from curriculum design its surroundings Man Met-led project to use a Realistic to how mathematics applies to art, Taking Maths Further scientists based in Mathematics Education approach and feeding philosophy and society. One-day event for Year 11 students considering a future in maths. Manchester have to enhance performance in Key back through Stage 3, and the introduction by inspired millions UoM of Japanese lesson-study Mathematical puzzles and competitions partnerships across the world. techniques for teachers’ Challenging students to solve mathematical problems through with schools and By working with professional development. activities such as the Alan Turing Cryptography Competition colleges. This Man Met and local and the PopMaths Quiz. initiative is a great schools, we hope opportunity for our Women in Maths Research project universities to join to create the same Women in Mathematics Research project is an event aimed at sense of wonder in female mathematicians in years 10 and 12, encouraging them to forces and increase our classrooms.” consider a career in mathematics. our impact.”
UoM maths academic, volunteer Yvette Solomon, Professor of Education, Man Met Enlivening Mathematics Teaching through Maths Research A choice of workshops designed to help teachers of mathematics to reconnect with real world mathematics. 6 7
Priorities for the partnership We will be supporting schools across these key areas: OUR UNIVERSITIES WILL BE COLLABORATING ON A RANGE OF PRIORITIES: Inspire and Challenge We will work with schools and mathematics departments so that Coordinating and publicising Using our research expertise to pupils reach their potential, developing challenging curricula and opportunities for teachers and build a shared understanding of novel problems. We will also introduce schools to opportunities learners to engage with mathematics the challenges for mathematical at university, particularly around education and achievement across with businesses and third-sector organisations to expand learning the key transition phases between Greater Manchester, particularly beyond the classroom. “The national and primary, secondary and post-16 study. to address gaps in areas of Increasing engagement, enjoyment disadvantage. Reducing barriers by local collaborative and confidence with mathematics, making our research more widely Research expertise mathematics and studying the impact of these. available and accessible. Our universities produce ground-breaking research in education projects on Establishing and strengthening Working with schools and partners mathematics education theory and practice through the partnerships with schools, supporting such as the National Centre for Manchester Institute of Education at UoM and the Education which I’ve engaged excellent and innovative teaching Excellence in the Teaching of and Social Research Institute at Man Met. We aim to overcome with UoM and Man through research and continuing Mathematics and the three Maths Met have been professional development. Increasing Hubs serving schools in and around the challenges around the accessibility of research for teachers opportunities for current university Greater Manchester to identify to help enhance and facilitate teaching and learning, respond to consistently well students on maths-related course research projects and future poverty and disadvantage, and analyse and evaluate impact. received and the to have high-quality experiences development opportunities. evaluations have been in the classroom.Inspiring more mathematics students to become Teacher training, support and development extremely positive. teachers. Our institutions share a history of delivering initial teacher training Working with the through different pathways, while a host of CPD courses are universities has had available for qualified teachers. We want to ensure that everyone impact on the wider who is practising as, or training to become, a teacher is able to maths community engage with research and understand which opportunities will and empowered bring the most benefit to their development and to their learners. colleagues to develop their professional Maths ambassadors and outreach practice.” UoM and Man Met encourage students to broaden their skills
Simon Mazumder FIMA, and employability through a broad range of outreach activities, Lead at the North West One Maths Hub from mentoring to tutoring in schools. With a combined number of 1,431 undergraduates studying Mathematics and 10,924 studying maths-related courses, our universities have a substantial pool of potential maths ambassadors to act as positive role models to schoolchildren and young people. 8 Notes: 9 Work with us
WHETHER YOU WORK IN EDUCATION, ARE STUDYING OR SIMPLY SHARE OUR PASSION FOR MATHEMATICS, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH TO DISCUSS HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
Engagement and Enjoyment in Mathematics Education: 0161 275 7544 [email protected] www.manchester.ac.uk/eeme