Journal of Core Maths

This journal, which is published in electronic form, aims to report and reflect on:

• Innovative and interesting practice in the teaching and learning of Core Maths
• Classroom evaluations of Core Maths, both qualitative and quantitative
• Problem solving in mathematics teaching and learning from around the world
• Successful promotion and management of Core Maths in schools and colleges

This article discusses some of the issues relating to the promotion of Core Maths to students, parents, schools and colleges and their senior leadership teams, and also to employers and higher education (HE). Some challenges are highlighted, and addressed, with suggestions for ways forward to secure the future of Core Maths and widespread adoption by all stakeholders. A summary of the background reports that led to the introduction of Core Maths, and the related educational landscape prior to its introduction, is included.

This paper provides answers to a range of key questions for which the success of Core Maths will dependend on. The questions relate to the reasons for teaching Core Maths, to the biggest challenges for the successful implementation of this new qualification and the implications for a problem solving approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics.

This paper explores the international evidence for a problem solving approach to teaching and learning mathematics, particularly Core Maths. It draws on the evidence from countries such as Japan, where an open problem solving approach is used to help learners move onto new concepts and topics in mathematics. It also highlights the problems that such approach will have in a UK context.

The ethos of the new Core Maths course lends itself to students working on substantial pieces of work that connect (and make those connections explicit) a variety of mathematical concepts. This breaks away from more traditional methods of teaching mathematics in England which has tended to focus on new skills being learnt as discrete, self-contained topics where mathematical connections have been implicit. Derek Robinson's Shockwheat activity is an excellent one in that it opens up a plethora of possible lines of mathematical inquiry. This article tells the story of how the activity was used with one core maths class, suggesting a possible mathematical route which incorporates a wide range of statistical techniques and highlights the use of a variety of ICT applications.

This article considers the curriculum development approaches in New Zealand, based on pedagogical best evidence practice and teacher learning projects. It highlights the issues involved and the potential for Core Maths to crete an alternative pathway in which more students can participate and achieve in Post-16 mathematics.

This article shows how you can design a Maths Festival to show diverse and interesting uses of mathematics. This MathsFest was conceived to encourage students to opt for mathematics, particularly Core Maths but it also had the aim of giving Mathematics a higher profile throughout the College.

This paper explores the strategies for getting students to sign up for Core Maths. The paper outlines the strategies used successfully in his schools and list the top tips for increasing participation. This is very helpful for both established and new providers of Core Maths courses.

The provision of well trained and effective maths teachers has long been an issue in many countries. The UK is not alone in sharing a common dilemma: how to provide enough effective teachers of mathematics in our schools and colleges. Suggestions of how to solve this problem have been proposed and include: increasing the use and effectiveness of technology; super-sized classes and recruiting teachers from overseas. Another tack could be to 're-train' the teachers we already have. Re-training teachers, of other subjects and from other phases, to teach mathematics has been happening in the UK for some years. Originally known as Post-ITT Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE), the programme has recently been renamed Teacher Subject Specialism Training (TSST). The UK government has pledged £67 million for new programmes to train up to 17,500 teachers of mathematics and physics over the next Parliament (GOV.UK press release 2014). How viable is TSST? Indeed, is retraining teachers a viable option at all for filling the gap between supply and demand? And could 'retraining' teachers this way actually add to the problem of too few effective maths teachers in the classroom? These will become especially pertinent questions, as an estimated 8000 more maths teachers are needed over the next few years to teach the new post-16 Core Maths qualification as it becomes established in schools and colleges.