Key Issue 1 OFSTED archived 2014

Improve the performance of girls in mathematics, by:

-providing girls with tasks that reflect their interests.

-promoting an understanding that it is acceptable to make mistakes and learn from them.

- Demonstrating the value of mathematics to girls future lives.

- looking at positive role models of women who use mathematics in their professional lives.

- Developing positive marking that highlights what all pupils, but especially girls in maths.

Action and outcome.

Improve the performance of girls in mathematics, by:

• -providing girls with tasks that reflect their interests.

Providing girls with guided group work has benefited their confidence. Tasks that promote confidence through the use of talk partners and paired work have been implemented throughout school. This has allowed girls the opportunity to define and explain ideas and rules, so that they can apply them later. Teachers direct questions to individuals rather than asking for general hands up to inform their assessment. The attainment in problem solving understanding has shown improvement due to the strategies used.

• -promoting an understanding that it is acceptable to make mistakes and learn from them. All girl groupings throughout school has allowed school to develop an ethos that mistakes can be viewed as new discoveries in an environment of mutual support. Working in whole girl groups has allowed the girls at Longton to test ideas and concepts in a no-threatening way. Evidence from pupil questionnaire after implementing the new methods, revealed that girls positive attitude in relation to maths had improved from 35% to 87%.

• Evidence from pupil questionnaire after implementing the project, revealed that girls confidence in relation to maths had improved from 64% to 90%.
• A key message from staff through the staff questionnaire was that girl's confidence had improved significantly since the implementation of the new teaching and learning strategies.
• - Demonstrating the value of mathematics to girl's future lives.
• For the last two years Y5 girls have visited Priory Sports College to taken part in a mathematics day. Tasks led by the more able female pupils at Priory have allowed our girls to aspire to become better mathematicians and to see older girls using their maths understanding in an effective way.
• - looking at positive role models of women who use mathematics in their professional lives.
• I can't think of anything we have done in school on this; however I could get something sorted for the last couple of weeks?
• - Developing positive marking that highlights what all pupils, but especially girls in maths.

Process success criteria is developed and shared with girls to allow greater understanding of the purpose of the objective and can be used to support learning and act as reminder. Girls have automatically started to self-assess their learning against the criteria. 92% of girls responded positively in the questionnaire that they found the use of success criteria benefited their learning and assisted self-assessment.

Implementation of effective marking strategies for girl's maths has benefitted their achievements greatly. The use of a range of strategies throughout school has allowed girls to fully identify their misconceptions and more importantly supported them in addressing them. Peer marking and assessment in all girl groups allows girls to assess in a less competitive environment than with a mixed group. Regular quality next step marking has allowed girls to support their own learning and improved self-esteem. Making marking clear, well directed and explicit has appealed to the majority of girls learning styles. 86% of girls in the questionnaire responded positively on how next step marking assisted they learning.

Evidence of Impact:

• 2009 KS2 results 47% girls (Boys 82.4%) achieved L4, one year of focus on girls maths, 2010 87% girls (95% boys) achieved L4.

2011 87% girls (83% boys).

• 2009 KS2 results 7% girls achieved L5 (59% boys), one year of focus on girls maths, 2010 19% girls achieved L5 (61% boys).
• 2011 56% girls achieved L5 (44% boys).

Next steps

Monitoring of attainment and attitude

Get ladies in that use maths in their work to inspire girls.

Develop links with Girls High for more able girls.

provide more opportunities to use and apply maths in more open-ended tasks