Improving educational

outcomes
January 2017
@maureen0207
 Making Maths Count
background
priorities
next steps
 Background

Group established by former Cabinet Secretary

Variety of backgrounds in the membership

Met over a year published interim report and

then a final report

Group will continue to meet for the next two

years (at least)
 Data

SSLN

Higher maths 20, 654 in 2010 to 21,074 in 2015

but only 18,868 in 2016
However, gap with Higher English has widened
In 2010, gap was 8,816, in 2015 it was 14,280 and
in 2016 is was over 17,000

WHY?
 Reputation

The OECD recommends that, unless the 2015 PISA results

indicate otherwise, Scotland should give close attention to
the issue of maths anxiety, not only regarding learners
but also their teachers and at all levels.

Too easy for practitioners to say I wasnt any good at

maths

Badge of pride?
 #morethansums

Do we all really understand that maths is more

than sums?

What maths do you do in the playroom?

Do we talk maths? How positively?

Do we take every opportunity to teach maths as a

language?
 #morethansums

How much do we scaffold learning?

Concrete pictorial - abstract
 Evidence gathering

I wish I had known how important maths was for me in my

everyday life as well as my work

make maths more relevant and enjoyable

I feel confident enough to be able to teach maths but that

was because my last placement was really strong for
maths

in my last placement the teacher just used the textbook all

the time for maths
 What do we want?

Scotland to be a maths-positive nation

all to believe that everyone, whatever their
circumstances in life, has the ability to become
proficient at maths
young people who are mathematical thinkers,
pattern spotters and problem solvers
Teachers to empower our young people as
mathematicians encouraging all to see and
understand the value of mathematics
 How are we going to achieve this?

Change public attitudes to maths

Improve confidence and fluency in learning and

teaching of maths

Promote maths as an essential skill for every

career

SIMPLES!