The Inclusion Showcase

Maths Recovery

Presenters

Jenny Stanley and Helen Heard-White (advisory teachers)

Why did you decide to undertake this piece of work? How had you identified the need?

Increased requests for assessment from schools wanting to know how to support pupils having difficulty in mathematics, combined with a scarcity of published resources that provided a framework for intervention.

What were the objectives and intended outcomes?

• To raise awareness of Maths Recovery as an early solution to preventing problems becoming entrenched with children losing self esteem
• To give schools a tool to raise standards for all while providing focussed support to children who needed a wave 3 intervention
• To provide a framework that enables targets to be tailored to the pupils' developmental level in maths.

What actions did you take over what time frame?

Initial enquiries were made in November 2005 with visits to see how the programme operates in Cumbria. Interest was generated by the Cumbrian Maths Recovery Model and in September 2006 we joined Cumbria for their training course. This took place over two terms and we adopted this structure for the Tameside pilot the following year (2006-2007).

In 2006-2007 we ran an 8-day course, split into 4 days on assessment and 4 days on the teaching intervention. Six schools participated, sending a teacher and teaching assistant. This has been continued in 2007-2008, with a teacher and teaching assistant from a further 8 schools, 3 maths consultants and a learning support advisory teacher participating.

What were the resource implications?

The training for the pilot has been funded by Tameside. It is currently free to schools and has included the cost of supply cover for the eight days. Following the training schools are asked to commit to running the programme within their own resources.

The resources, assessments and books are provided on the course. Schools would have to commit teaching assistant time for the teaching programme and liaison time with the maths recovery trained teacher to assess, decide who to target, give direction and provide support.

To be worthwhile this would mean committing the teaching assistant to the delivery of the intervention 3 times a week for a minimum of 1 hour initially (30 min with the child and 30 min to review and plan (obviously with increased familiarity this may be less).

Each child (initially) or very small group (no more than 3) would have a 5-week intervention (or half a term) of at least 3 x 30 min. per week. Over the year six interventions could be completed - one per half term. Therefore over the year a minimum of 6 children would have received this very focussed support. If 2 or 3 children are combined into a same stage group then 12-18 children could receive the support.

Overall, schools would be providing a quality intervention for approximately £100 per month / £1200 per year in terms of teaching assistant time.

In relation to other wave 3 interventions the overall cost seems very reasonable.

What has been the impact?

• Six primary schools in Tameside now have a trained teacher and teaching assistant who successfully completed the substantial course requirements in mathematics recovery (100% attendance and success rate from the 12 trainees)
• Eight more schools, including one KS3 school, participating in the training this year

How have you measured outcomes?

• Pre and post - teaching assessment of pupils by Advisory Teachers using the WRAT standardised test and PIVATS (number knowledge and skills) in year 2006-2007 with a control group
• Pre and post - teaching Maths Recovery Diagnostic Interviews undertaken by the trainees as part of the Maths Recovery programme in both years

What do you plan to do next?

• It is expected that a third cohort of schools will be trained in 2008-2009
• Devise an affordable, on-going system of support and advice to help schools make the maximum use of the training
• Collaboration with math's consultants to support schools trained in maths recovery
• Monitor the longer-term impact of Maths Recovery as a Wave 2 and Wave 3 intervention in Tameside schools

How will you ensure sustainability?

We plan to hold maths recovery focus group meetings for people who have completed the training who wish to use a solution focussed approach to developing maths recovery in their schools.

Hopefully Every Child Counts will identify a funding stream.

What were your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

• Time pressures - careful planning to deadlines
• Tight budget - effective use of resources and honed ICT skills
• Putting together a high quality course from scratch - interest, motivation, skill development, collaboration, and teamwork
• Overcoming trainee's fears on videoing assessments - dogged determination, laughter in the face of adversity, and equal participation in the event
• Prepare the vast array of assessment and teaching resources in advance
• Invite schools to participate earlier
• For schools to be clearer about their commitments to ensuring this valuable training is used effectively to raise standards in numeracy

If you want to know more contact us by e-mail or by telephone.

jenny.stanley@tameside.gov.uk
helen.heard-white@tameside.gov.uk

Telephone: 0161-342-2218/2219

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