The Francis Review of curriculum and assessment promises to “ensure meaningful, rigorous and high-value pathways for all at 16-19”. Given the experiences of further education when it comes to inclusion in wider education reforms (and pay deals), it is good to see an explicit reference to the sector.
At Get Further, we partner with post-16 education providers across the country to deliver our tuition programmes to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain gateway qualifications in further education. What’s clear to us is that GCSE English and maths are the key to a wide range of education and employment opportunities.
Without them, students are much less likely to progress onto higher-level study and more likely to drop out of education altogether. A young person without these qualifications is nine times more likely to be NEET by the age of 18.
However, there is a real challenge around the pass rates of GCSE resit courses – especially in maths.
I began teaching maths in 2009, just before the last major curriculum review under the coalition government. Almost 15 years later, there remains much to do to help more young people pass GCSEs, including those resitting in colleges. But the principle that we will unlock opportunities for further work and study by ensuring that more young people have a strong foundation in maths and English is as relevant as ever.
That’s why I’m so delighted to be part of a new initiative: the Mathematics Horizon Project, which seeks to support the Francis review by carrying out a rapid review of the current maths curriculum and assessment systems in England. This group has been convened by the charity Purposeful Ventures, and consists of advisers from across schools, colleges, academia, industry and policy.
We want to explore different ways in which the curriculum can be structured, and explore the trade-offs and constraints between them. I am particularly interested in exploring how we can better support students with the lowest prior attainment to succeed in post-16 education.
I’m also keen to consider how courses can be structured and delivered to ensure that students studying maths in post-16 education are not entered into exams before they have had a meaningful chance to address the fundamental gaps in their knowledge that have prevented them from passing GCSE maths at school.
We want to hear from everyone who has an interest in this issue
Every young person has the potential to achieve a strong foundation in maths by the time they leave compulsory education. The Mathematics Horizon Project is ambitious to explore innovative and well-evidenced approaches to ensure this becomes a reality.
We want to hear from everyone who has an interest in this issue – including in the further education and training sector, and from those with experience of a less smooth progression through maths education.
Colleges are the largest destination in terms of post-16 maths study. The sector plays a particularly important role in supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Twice the proportion of these students attend colleges than school sixth forms. Most of the young people who miss out on a pass in GCSE maths at school go on to retake this qualification at a college.
So to truly look at maths horizons, we need to hear the views from students in further education who have low prior attainment in maths. What would have changed their experience? What support do they need now to develop their skills?
As a country, we have never needed maths more. In surveys, employers consistently rank numeracy as among the top three factors they look for when recruiting school and college leavers. Make UK, which represents the country’s manufacturers, reports that three-quarters of manufacturers prioritise attainment in maths and English when recruiting apprentices.
In today’s world, almost everyone needs the basic mathematical understanding to be able to digest and interpret outputs produced by artificial intelligence, even in jobs that don’t seem mathematical. We need an education system that prepares young people for a more mathematical future.
I want all students to develop a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge, to understand the role and value of maths and to have a positive experience of the subject. And I passionately believe that every student can with the right support.
I’m proud to be part of considering how our curriculum and assessment systems can improve maths education and ensure that it meets the country’s needs going forward. Your input will be crucial in achieving that.
Click here to find out more about the Maths Horizon project
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