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Views & Opinion Supporting teachers as they adjust to the challenge of


delivering the new Maths curriculum at KS1 and 2 Comment byJayne Warburton, CEO, 3P Learning, Europe and Middle East


Despite the fact that UK primary schools have


now been delivering the new national curriculum for a full two terms now, teachers still have many questions surrounding assessment, attainment and accountability. From September 2016 the existing national


curriculum levels are being scrapped in favour of a ‘scaled score’ in which 100 equals the expected standard. Every pupil will receive their standardised score, alongside the average for their school, the local area and nationally. There will also be a ‘performance descriptor’ of the expected standard for KS2 pupils, with the Department for Education aiming for 85 per cent of children to reach or exceed that standard. ‘What will we do without national curriculum


levels?’ and ‘How are we going to measure progress?’ ask teachers – many of whom are already concerned about how pupils will cope with the higher expectations of the new curriculum where content generally has more depth and is more demanding. The most notable change to the tests will be in


the mathematics papers where assessing mastery and deep learning will be among the main challenges of the new ‘more rigorous’ SATs papers. The new curriculum demands a change of approach to teaching Maths and the increased difficulty involved requires teachers to think differently and review the resources they are


using. Teaching unions have raised particular concerns around Maths, where more is expected from pupils, and at an earlier age. For example, five-year-olds will now learn basic fractions and nine-year-olds are expected to know their 12 times table, whereas previously the requirement was for pupils to know their 10 times table by age 11. Assessment is an integral part of effective


teaching and learning and good assessment support is achieved when formative and summative assessments of learning are incorporated, allowing teachers to measure progress and pupils to inform their future learning. Regular assessment activities allow pupils the opportunity to review the key ideas and concepts to check their own understanding. Of course the best use of assessment is in


raising standards. High quality assessment, linked to next steps for teaching is at the heart of any teaching resource worth its salt. Summative assessments aligned to the new NC which can automatically analyse student results in terms of curriculum expectations will be most useful here. Any features which remove the need for time spent analysing a test mark-book and provide an instant snapshot of class and student will be a boon for time-pressed teachers. Consequently I read the results of Education Secretary Nicky Morgan’s ‘Workload Challenge’


survey – aimed at reducing needless bureaucracy to increase teaching time - with great interest, particularly because when I started teaching over 30 years ago we complained about exactly the same range of things that teachers do now, but today there is more accountability! It is important to clarify that many respondents


noted that the tasks they undertook were not ‘unnecessary’ or ‘unproductive’ – indeed, they were essential parts of working within a school, but the volume was such that they were unable to complete them, even when working much longer than their contracted hours. In addition, the levels of detail, duplication or bureaucracy that occurred during these tasks were seen as ‘unnecessary’ or ‘unproductive’. Other factors noted by respondents included the volume of work that they needed to get through in the time available, particularly in relation to lesson planning, assessment, reporting administration and marking books, where examples given ranged between 90 and 120 books per day, to 120 – 300 books per fortnight. My view is that teachers need to find more


efficient methods of marking, data management and planning so that they are freed up to focus on differentiated learning and improved pupil outcomes. Then they can spend more time doing what they do best – teaching.


Digitalising learning: increasing access to education


Comment by Helen Brand OBE, Chief Executive of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)


Technology is transforming how people learn.


It has enabled a whole variety of institutions to improve the accessibility of their courses, breaking down borders between countries and opening up access to learning in parts of the world – and society – that would have found education much less reachable through more traditional methods of delivery. Here at ACCA, we have launched a series of


digital, high quality and open access courses through a scheme called ACCA-X, designed to empower more people to take up accountancy in a convenient, flexible and cost-effective manner. Historically it has been argued that online


learning means students miss out on one-to-one personal learning methods, but this is no longer the case. Advances in content types mean tutors are now using training videos and interactive content to assist people in their learning. Live web collaboration, online communities and discussion forums mean interaction remains a fundamental element of the learning process.


May 2015 Allowing students to learn at their own time


and pace particularly suits those who may not be able to physically attend a set of classes. This is vital to the expansion of learning to parts of society who have historically been neglected and should be celebrated as such. For example, there is currently a growing


trend for parents, and particularly mums, looking to embark on a second career once they have had children who use online courses to either enrich their existing skills or train to enter a new career in a way that fits around their family obligations. With women in the 30-40 age-bracket now the fastest growing demographic for newly self-employed people in the UK, it’s clearly of vital importance to our economy that we ensure they have access to the skills and training they need. It is clear that the vocational education sector


is at the vanguard of online learning. Not only that, but it has a huge role to play in bringing education to areas of the globe which do not have widespread access to traditional forms of


education. For example, with our ACCA-X initiative, we have been able to offer three highly affordable courses in Bangladesh, India, Nigeria and Zambia. We have plans to roll this out to more areas


in the future as it is ACCA’s vision that there be no restrictions on access to learning, no matter the location, background or financial situation of those who want to become ACCA qualified. It has been interesting to see that the largest


numbers of initial registrations for the free, open access courses from ACCA-X have been in the UK and USA, bringing home the point that online learning can be of value in all environments and types of economy. There are now thousands of students


achieving degrees and other qualifications online and it is exciting to see how this will evolve still further in the coming years. What is important is that everyone has the opportunity to access learning at a time, a place and a cost that suits them.


www.education-today.co.uk


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