On 30 January (Gloucs) and 14 February (Worcs), we celebrated all things maths with over 100 teachers from across the GLOW region, at our annual Primary MathsFest events. Ed Neale, GLOW Maths Hub Lead, welcomed delegates to the day – promising a day of insights, learning and, above all, passion.............for maths!  

With a brilliant keynote speaker, practical workshops and a free lunch, feedback from the events has been excellent – achieving a user experience rating of 9.6 out of 10. 

Talking in the classroom 

This year’s theme was oracy. Simply defined, oracy is, ‘articulating ideas, developing understanding and engaging with others through talking, listening and communication.’ In the classroom, it can be so much more than this and can be integral to pupil identity and to shaping a sense of self. Being listened to and feeling heard, can build a real sense of belonging in the classroom – a key factor influencing a child’s ability to thrive in maths.  

'At the age of five years, there is a 19-month gap between a child’s achievement from the lowest and the highest income groups'. 

A harsh statistic and one of the opening comments from Abby Cotton, Boolean Maths Hub Lead - keynote speaker at Primary MathsFest25. Abby went on to say that without intervention, this gap continues to grow – with a child at five years being 1.6 times more likely to be below expected levels, increasing to two times more likely by the age of 11.   

A few years ago, Abby began exploring why this gap occurs and what could be done to address it. An area of particular interest was oracy, or language skills, and understanding how effective maths oracy might influence better outcomes for children. Abby has spent a number of years leading oracy work within her own hub, and with the NCETM – supporting a national approach across the Maths Hubs programme. Abby went on to pose the question, ‘Can we do oracy and Teaching for Mastery (TfM)?’; are the two compatible? The resounding consensus was, yes we can! Oracy is fundamentally embedded within teaching for mastery and the 5 Big Ideas .  

A thought-provoking and enlightening session, brilliantly presented by Abby on a topic that generated discussion and challenge throughout the rest of the event. To learn more about the NCETM’s work on oracy, click here. 

Love maths - vox pops (voice of the people!)

With our Worcester event taking place on Valentine’s Day, we couldn’t resist bringing a little love to the room. We asked delegates to tell us why they love maths; and received some fab responses. See and hear some of our favourite 'love maths' entries by viewing their videos here.