Primary Teaching for Mastery Work Groups 2019/20

The Teaching for Mastery Work Group

Each Work Group will be led by one of the London SW Maths Hub’s Mastery Specialists.

During the year, they will work closely together to introduce and develop approaches to Teaching for Mastery. The Work Group activity will include:

• Each school identifying two teachers to lead developments within their school: one must be a member of SLT or maths lead and the other should be a teacher who has the capacity to make significant pedagogical changes to their practice. Please note, this is a programme for whole school leadership and change and is not a personal professional development programme
• The two teachers working together with the Mastery Specialist and teachers from the other Work Group schools in half-termly Teacher Research Group (TRG) style meetings and through an online community
• Each school receiving a termly support visit from the Mastery Specialist to observe teaching, support in-school TRGs and other professional development, and work with the lead teachers and the Headteacher in developing an action plan for the school
• The Headteacher working with the Mastery Specialist and other Maths Hub’s leadership to develop whole school policies and structures to support Teaching for Mastery
• The lead teachers, supported by the Headteacher, working with colleagues to develop Teaching for Mastery approaches in the classroom, supported by professional development activity including Teacher Research Group methods
• Following the first year the schools are expected to then continue being part of the Work Group that will meet each half term. This Work Group will no longer be led by the Mastery Specialist, but will be supported by the Maths Hub to continue to work as a collaborative group that supports schools in their development of Teaching for Mastery.

Benefits for participating schools

Participating in the Work Group will provide the following benefits to participant schools:

• High quality support for teacher professional development for the lead teachers, facilitated by the Mastery Specialist
• Support for the Headteacher in addressing leadership issues related to Teaching for Mastery from the Mastery Specialist and the Maths Hub’s leadership
• Opportunity to work closely with other schools also developing Teaching for Mastery
• No charge for participation and a grant of £1000 to help subsidise teacher release time
• Financial help, should the school make the decision to purchase textbooks (subject to DfE confirmation)

Expectations of participating schools

Schools chosen to participate in the Work Group commit to the following expectations:

• The lead teachers will participate in the half-termly, cross-school Work Group meetings with the Mastery Specialist (half-days) and complete gap tasks. Full attendance is expected from both teachers.
• Both lead teachers will be released for the complete duration of the termly visits by the Mastery Specialist
• The lead teachers will receive a minimum of ten (combined) days’ release time for development work including the above meetings
• The Headteacher will meet with the Mastery Specialist and the Maths Hub’s leadership as well as working with the other Work Group school Headteachers
• The Headteacher will attend a half day training session led by the London SW Maths Hub in the autumn term of 2019 to support them in developing their own knowledge of Teaching for Mastery.
• The school will introduce Teaching for Mastery approaches across the school and establish TRG professional development models to support teacher development
• The school will provide any reports required by the Maths Hub and participate in any evaluation processes required
• The school will continue to collaborate half termly with the schools in the Work Group for the year 2020/21 as part of The Embedding Year