Lessons learned from Shanghai

Kings and

Nobles

Scholars

Military

Working class

•PISA international tests….

Why is it important to learn from Shanghai’s way of teaching maths?

Programme for International Student Assessment

Shanghai UK

Place in table

1 26

% below L2 or

equivalent

3.8 21.8

% L5 or L6 or equivalent

55.4 11.8

Annualised change +4.2 -0.3

What have we been doing to find out why China is top in mathematics in the world?

• Lead professionals in education visited China to investigate maths teaching.

• This, alongside meetings with the DfE and NCETM, have led to our work in collaboration with Shanghai lead educational mathematics professionals.

What have we been doing to learn from China?

The England – Shanghai Mathematics Teacher Exchange. • Lectures/discussion with leading

Chinese educational experts.

• Two weeks in Shanghai – including a full week in a Shanghai primary school.

• Many lesson observations, time with the maths research group in school.

• Dialogue with colleagues and other educational professionals from other schools to compare/contrast observations.

• Two teachers from YiFu Primary School, Shanghai, came to our schools to provide CPD opportunities and to teach alongside our teachers for a full month in November 2014.

What have we been doing to learn from Shanghai?

• One text book across all schools in Shanghai, each student has their own copy.

• Annual quality adjustments sought by schools. • Ownership and buy-in from the schools. • One book also results in one expectation of outcome.

1. Text Book is Key

Next step: Norfolk Maths Hub, is looking to work with primary schools, to develop & publish a Key Stage 2 maths book based on Singapore and Shanghai mathematics.

“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” Carl Rogers

• The curriculum in Shanghai focuses on depth rather than breadth from early on.

• Mastering number concepts means that other concepts can be taught very quickly.

2. The Curriculum:

Next step: A lot has already been done on our Primary maths curriculum however, it may still be worth considering narrowing it even further.

3. 35 Minute Lessons:

• Specialist Mathematics teachers • Short (35 min) lessons • Learning derived from discussions. • A lesson could focus on one, possibly minute, detail of the

topic being covered • The belief that: EVERY STUDENT will achieve!

Next step: Find schools that will radically overhaul their approach to curriculum/timetabling to reflect this major change.

• Happen weekly • Involve deep conversations about academic content & debates

occur about how a topic should be taught; a common approach is agreed.

• Teaching competitions. These competitions occur at local, regional, Shanghai-wide and level.

4. Teacher Led Research Groups:

Next step:

Set up local MRGs across Norfolk that have clear guidelines on how they should be run. Assist the implementation of MRGs by examining how the department admin can be separated from the professional discussions about academic topics.

• Many of the previous issues raised (MRGs, teaching competitions, common text book) result in the sharing of extremely detailed planned lessons. This was evident as I saw the exact same lesson taught in two different schools.

• This common approach also is only possible due to a common way of carrying out calculations.

5. Calculation Policy:

Next step: National Maths Hubs will work towards creating a national calculations policy.

Lessons learned from Shanghai

• Specialist teachers

Lessons learnt and applied:

“I think that’s right, but let me check.”

• Onward and upward

Lessons learnt and applied:

• Deepening understanding through small, logical steps, often looking at minute details within the bigger picture.

Lessons learnt and applied:

420 403 423 x 5 x 5 x 5

• Variation theory Lessons learnt and applied:

Problem 1: There are 9L of apple juice and every 3L is put in a jar. How many jars are needed? Problem 2: There are 9L of apple juice and every 1L is put in a jar. How many jars are needed? Problem 3: There are 9L of apple juice and every 0.3L is put in a jar. How many jars are needed? Problem 4: There are 9L of apple juice and every 0.1L is put in a jar. How many jars are needed? Problem 5: There are 9L of apple juice and every 0.05L is put in a jar. How many jars are needed?

4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4

4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4

2 0

x 4

5 = 20

4

x 5

• Times tables and relationships

Lessons learnt and applied:

Do now: How quickly can you memorise the 17 times tables?

We must be committed to achievement for every single pupil, no matter what their background or prior attainment.

Now that's how you use a counting stick!

TP, Can you answer these questions?

Sharing practice…

• Why are we going so far back to basics? (A year 6 mum wants to know why we are sending 5x homework… What do you say?)

• What are you doing to push learning of times tables and number facts in your school?

Thank you for listening:

“The study of mathematics, like the Nile, begins in minuteness but ends in magnificence.” Charles Caleb Colton