Promoting numeracy strategies at Key Stage 3 - the Brynteg School, Bridgend, experience

The school’s maths department uses the latest online tools and technology for learning in the classroom and the results of this certainly add up to success.  Teachers test all pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 using papers from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) (http://www.nfer.ac.uk/index.cfm). The NFER’s tracking tool then assesses the working level of pupils and predicts how they would do at the end of KS3 (11 – 14). Based on these results the school then picks a cohort of pupils identified as needing extra support.

Those children are then taken into small groups, of no more than four pupils, to work with maths teachers.  After the initial NFER assessment teachers conduct regular follow-up tests after set “chapters”, and then, using the school’s own tracking system, assess and monitor the results.

Based on the needs of each particular group, the teachers devise sessions each lasting around 20 or 30 minutes, and within those are also able to fine-tune and personalise their teaching for each pupil’s individual needs.

Deborah Kinsey, a Key Stage 3 Maths Coordinator, says that by using a fast and efficient data management tool, it not only enables teachers to perform a high level of individual tracking at the click of a button, but also substantially frees up their time by easing the administrative load. This means they are able to spend more time delivering personalised learning sessions that help achieve the best results.  Another benefit of the assessment and tracking system is that it also allows year tutors and form tutors to have access to the data – in fact any teacher across the whole school can access the information.

Deborah says:  “In virtually all cases, bar the odd exception where a child might have difficulty across all subjects rather than just maths,  pupils are happy to attend the extra support sessions as they can see how the lessons are helping them.  Also, while working on basic number skills, we play games and have fun at the same time. The pupils are especially pleased if they have been in a bottom set and are then able to move up!” 

The NFER tool is complemented by BSA Cymru resources, such as the Work Out file and the Sumsville CDRom, , used once a week in the sessions, as well as the school’s own resources. 

The pupils also undertake either a test or investigational task every half-term which is levelled and put on the school’s system to track, used to ensure that pupils have understood their lessons.

Deborah says:  “We have found that the biggest drop-off occurs at the end of Year 7 when NFER testing shows that some pupils have improved sufficiently to the point they no longer need the extras sessions going into Year 8. However they might still continue to get extra support in the classroom.”   

Facts and figures

The testing and tracking programme lasts up to three years

Pupils are tested and tracked from the end of Year 6 to Year 9

At the end of each year pupils are tracked to the next year to see if an improvement has been made  

Nearly all pupils are found to have improved by at least one level, if not more

There are 30 pupils involved in the testing and tracking programme in the current Year 7

At the end of year 9 pupils are no longer withdrawn into special sessions but get teacher support in class

For further information contact Deborah Kinsey at Brynteg School:  de.williams@bryntegcs.bridgend.sch.uk