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Updated June 2017 Trigonometry: use in finding heights These excellent materials were designed at Leeds Metropolitan University and are excellent for seeing trigonometry in real use. Teacher/pupil task sheet with Clinometer template for angle measuring. Theodolite poster – how to use to … Read More

Excellent resource from the Freudenthal Institute in the Netherlands, that can be used in a variety of ways. It uses java so will not work on all browsers. However there is an alternative way to get to it. If you … Read More

Ratio and proportion – a key activity: links fractions, direct proportion, straight line graphs, map scales, currency and unit conversions, recipes and so much more. Bars used too to help show ratios. Spire Maths Interactives for Ratio and Proportion (will not … Read More

Plenty of material here to support work on circles including links helpful sites for definitions, constructions and the circle theorems. Useful to TSST or SKE courses too. Flipchart file Pdf file Spreadsheet file Circle Grids flipchart Here are the sites … Read More

Fold or draw out the tangram parts from a one unit square. A popular activity. Create objects using all 7 pieces. Find the area of each part as a fraction of the unit square. Links to other interesting and useful … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6 to Y8 statistics starters below. These and many … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6 to Y8 number starters below. These and many … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6 to Y8 measures and miscellaneous starters below. These and … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6&Y7 number starters below. These and many more interactive starters … Read More

Here are plenty of activities, many of them interactive, to use on pi day, (March 14) – Tuesday in 2017. Includes: Free Circle Drawing Competition Activity (suitable for most ages) with both pdf and flipchart available videos including Numberphile pi from pies … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6&Y7 measures starters below. These and many more interactive starters … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6 to Y8 geometry starters below. These and many … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6 to Y9 fraction, decimal, percentage and ratio starters … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6 toY9 algebra starters below. These and many more interactive starters … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6&Y7 geometry starters below. These and many more interactive starters … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6&Y7 statistics starters below. These and many more interactive starters … Read More

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6&Y7 fraction, decimal, percentage and ratio starters below. These … Read More

Materials from the full recommendations from the 3 independent review groups are available: For poster see here.  For pamphlet here.  For full recommendations here. For more on assessment an marking see here.

Ideal for use on an IWB or for use by pupils either at school or at home – but unfortunately will not work on iPads or iPhones. Check out our new Y6&Y7 algebra starters below. These and many more interactive starters … Read More

Articles on Maths from The Conversation – topical articles usually related to use of mathematics in our everyday life. Articles on Pi from The Conversation – as above but just related to Pi.

Update April 2017 Listen to or Download the More or Less 10 minute podcast on this story. Lego’s Next Fan-Designed Set Celebrates the Women of NASA: see here. Original February 2017 Find out more about these women who were essential … Read More

Here’s some helpful animations and other resources. By Lucas V. Barbosa – Own work College Help, Public Domain,  By Pi-unrolled: John Reid2 pi-unrolled: Ufo karadagli – Pi-unrolled-720.gif, CC BY-SA 3.0,  By Inductiveload – Own work, Public Domain,  By Traced by … Read More

An ideal activity for January, early February for KS2/3: adapted, with permission, from Activity Maths (Level 5): The Bird Box. Pupils consider making a bird box as shown on plan above or one available on Make a nest box: British Trust … Read More

Flipchart for Supporting Subject Knowledge Enhancement or TSST colleagues. Pdf file with similar content. Research Report available (including summaries etc). Activities and ideas available from Nuffield website. Book Key Ideas in Teaching Mathematics available from itunes. Or click links below for … Read More

Frogs – a pdf file that gives background, how to solve the frogs problem, how to link it to solving quadratics, graph and formula work, where to find a proof as well as hints to the proof. Frogs – a spreadsheet that can … Read More

The only file you need to show any fraction properly on an ActivInspire flipchart. Drag this flipchart page and adapt into any other flipchart.

Ideas for problem solving and mathematical reasoning using 2017 including: what is the smallest number that cannot be made with exactly one each of 2, 0, 1 and 7: depends on what is allowed – here 1 to 37 can … Read More

Spiremaths Interactives Our own Spiremaths Interactives on Probability are great for KS3, though they cannot be used on iPads or iPhones. Nrich Nrich have some great activities that make use of the wonderful Dime recording sheet and a link showing how to use … Read More

Spire Maths Interactives for Probability (will not work on iPhones or iPad) found here. Wealth of material for KS3.

This simple idea works well and helps pupils with Reasoning skills. Lesson Notes (pdf file) Coloured Grids flipchart PowerPoint (1 second intervals) PowerPoint (2 second intervals)  

Update April 2017: Sean Hartford emphasises, again, what OfSTED really looks at. Update February 2017: Materials from the full recommendations from the 3 independent review groups are available: For poster see here.  For pamphlet here.  For full recommendations here. NCETM has recently … Read More

Equals Online – Mathematics and Special Educational Needs. Hadn’t realised until the MA sent a tweet around that this excellent source of ideas was now online and, as far as I can see, free. Easy to read articles, I always … Read More

Although produced a while back both these reports contain useful information for specialist and non-specialist teachers of mathematics at all levels. The full reports of 2008 and 2012 contain examples of ‘weaker factors’ with remedies, ‘how it might be improved’, and … Read More

These collections of lessons provide ready-made high quality lessons for the new mathematics curriculum even thought they were created some years back.

If you like the Improving Learning in Mathematics materials then these are for you – some of the same team were involved. Designed as summative assessment tasks for the US market these are easily adapted. The team have also produced some … Read More

If you like the Improving Learning in Mathematics materials then these are for you – some of the same team were involved. Designed as formative assessment lessons for the US market these great activities are easily adapted. The team have … Read More

An ideal way to look at solving 26 ‘real’ type of problems after you have looked at simpler examples such as the Bowland Assessment activities and the Nuffield activities. These case studies cannot be used without time spent by teacher … Read More

Collection of Applying Mathematical Processes Practical Explorations. Good activities to follow the Bowland Assessment activities and Nuffield Practicals and to try before the Bowland Case Studies.

Collection of 11 Applying Mathematical Processes lessons that let pupils follow through investigations. Good activities to follow the Bowland Assessment activities and to complete before trying the Nuffield Practicals or the Bowland Case Studies.

Each of the 12 KS3 Resources contains 4 or 5 independent (sets of) lessons based around a common theme (the Activities). They can be freely downloaded from the original project site, but you do need to register (it is free, no … Read More

Ada Lovelace the first computer programmer has the second Tuesday in October as ‘Ada Lovelace Day‘, which has been celebrated since 2009. The next Ada Lovelace Day is 10 October 2017. For dates for next 100 years go here. July 2016 … Read More

Something for the holidays. Note that the Guardian currently doesn’t allow free access to its crosswords on mobiles.  Source  Mobile link for pdf file  Computer link  Guardian 26280 26280  Guardian  25044 25044  Guardian 25000 25000  

Interesting, informative and entertaining programme on data that introduced me to William Farr, Claude Shannon and Donald Davies, but did not include John Snow and Florence Nightingale. Available on BBC iPlayer until mid-August 2016 – bound to be repeated or … Read More

Click below for direct links to: Conference information Report: A framework of core content for ITT Report: Developing behaviour management content for ITT Report: National Standards for school-based ITT mentors Report: Standard for teachers’ professional development

Basically an 8 page report (June 2016) building on ACME’s work in this area since 2010. The ACME report on assessment of problem solving: • considers the assessment of problem solving in public tests and examinations across all key stages … Read More

This report based on PISA 2012 results looks at how pupils might improve their ability to think quantitatively and solve real-life, complex problems. It shows that one way forward is to ensure that all students spend more “engaged” time learning core mathematics … Read More

  The Compass, Ruler and Protractor flash file can be used live (but work cannot be saved). Unfortunately as a flash file will not work with iPads and iPhones. Can also be used with any on-screen video maker (such as that … Read More

There are a wealth of free materials that can be used to support this topic. Here are my favourites. The Compass, Ruler and Protractor flash file can be used live (but work cannot be saved). Can also be used with any … Read More

Primary teachers should do less marking in mathematics! See: OfSTED myth busters Nick Gibb at ATL conference (April 2016) Marking and evidence guidance from NCETM (April 2016) OfSTED inspections – clarification for schools (March 2015)

Here are plenty of activities to use on pi day (March 14) – Monday in 2016. See also the earlier Free Circle Drawing Competition Activity. Pi Day 2016 pdf file Pi Day flipchart   See the Wolfram blog of 12 … Read More

Examples of the bar method, mostly for secondary level here. Makes use of the excellent Thinking Blocks Modelling Tool. (I’m not keen on the individual tools or the individual Apps since they only focus on a single problem-type.) Some of … Read More

   Makes some excellent points. Available here.    

This is an ideal pi day activity (March 14) to involve the whole school. Who can draw the perfect freehand circle? This was what the painter Giotto said he could do! Allows student to demonstrate their mastery of properties of circles. … Read More

Stoke-on-Trent Mathematics Excellence Partnership Great to be there at the launch of this ambitious and important partnership and to know that Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools, will be following this up after he has retired. Roisin Maguire … Read More

Charles and Ray Eames produced 5 excellent maths videos as well as other videos that are still useful today. Eratosthenes shows how to measure the circumference of the earth. Powers of 10 is their best known film. For much more … Read More

Published early February 2016, updated in March 2016, contains helpful guidance of ‘working at the expected standard’. Collect KS1 from here. Collect KS2 from here. See debate on this from 7Maths7’s blog: The End of Reasoning? Further National Curriculum 2016 sample assessment materials here. … Read More

GeoDraw – Jamtec (Stoke) Ltd, any Geoboard, real or virtual, or dotty paper can be used to support the understanding of combining fractions. Fraction representations pdf   Fraction representations flipchart  Fraction representations notebook   Note that notebook file will have most … Read More

These are the only 15 known so far, the last discovered in 2015. Explanation here. Picture source. The Guardian’s account. Account including dates and good animations, plus picture below. Jo Morgan’s excellent blog contains planning info for use in lessons with … Read More

Great fun making Sine wave from spaghetti. This GeoGebraTube file, diagram below, shows movement around unit circle as well as motion of vertical component.

Saw these in a classroom the other day. There are 50 with more added occasionally. Links follow here. Contain a mixture of people from history, definitions and quirky facts. Some new names for me. These should be used regularly with … Read More

These are the resources we use for definitions etc. Glossary provides helpful diagrams etc and is now from the NCETM, so you may have to register for free to get it; maths is fun has some adverts, which is annoying; … Read More

This helps with understanding how place value works as the figures move and the decimal point stays still when multiplying by powers of 10. Also useful for seeing how each 5 is related to another 5 in a different row. Useful … Read More

A whole set of resources from the internet that include real-life examples related to powers and scale. Some great stuff. To start things off we suggest the excellent Powers of 10 video The Scale of the Universe 2 by Cary … Read More

A wonderful parable of curriculum development originally from the 1930s. Annotated version also available. Brought to my attention by colleague who was asked to read it on a course from the 1990s.  

These 33 tasks are still as good today as when first brought out. An ideal way to look at solving ‘real’ type of problems with no correct solution. Have supporting materials for staff not used to working in this way. … Read More

We like these short clips.

  Want to find out more about Shanghai mathematics? Then head over to our page that provides some background, further reading, reports to date plus lesson materials from Shanghai teachers who visited England. You might also like to read the … Read More

This brilliant applet is part of the A5 flipchart and A5 notebook and works within the Inspire and Smart software. Haven’t found it available anywhere else. ActivInspire or Smart Notebook version 11 is needed to  open the files. Go to software tab … Read More

Software for the Standards Box activities S3, S4 and S5 can now be found via our Improving Learning in Mathematics page. These can also be used away from the resource. Other Applets associated with the Standards Box require Java and so … Read More

  BMI ActivInspire flipchart, BMI Smart Notebook, BMI ActivStudio Flip file and BMI pdf file available.

Newbury Park Primary School’s Language of the Month. Excellent for hearing and seeing the numbers spelt in other languages. Downloadable resources for over 60 languages.

The Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM) has a new free online puzzle page. Started in August 2015 they state they will add a new one each week (taken from their journals). At time of publication there are 10 good … Read More

Classic problem from  way back – but not clear how long it’s been around (couldn’t find anything other than suggestion it’s linked to Rose church windows). Features in the Shell Centre ‘blue’ box Problems with Patterns and Numbers that introduced it … Read More

This 1947 instructional video of a mathematics lesson still has relevance today. Effective Classroom Management: How to Maintain Discipline In A Classroom (Florence Ng, May 2015). Offers good, sensible sound advice. Behaviour and discipline in schools: Advice for headteachers and school staff … Read More

Note that download of pdf in Chrome from National Archive can take time and you may need to refresh page.

Median’s activity isometric shape areas is ideal for use on our GeoDraw – Jamtec (Stoke) Ltd app for iPads (screenshot shown above).  

The Conversation has many good articles about mathematics. This one focuses on maths anxiety and how parents with maths anxiety can affect their children’s grades. Offers some helpful solutions. Do You Panic About Mathematics? Coping with maths anxiety offers useful insights. Most … Read More

  The IWB versions of the files have now been added to the website here along with other useful references.

These materials are published by NCETM and OUP and are currently freely available here (though you may have to log in). They are produced in print and online versions. They all provide “Questions, tasks and activities to support assessment” in a … Read More

This classic book written in 1964 and updated in 1982 is a must for anyone teaching mathematics to pupils of any ages. Originally written as  a series of memos to a colleague they were adapted and edited under four headings: … Read More

Core Maths is aimed at those with C or better at GCSE who are not doing any other mathematics courses at school or college. See here for more.

See the Wolfram blog of 12 March for info about this and get your own pi day spiral at Mypiday.com/

An occasional blog that usually contains some interesting mathematics.

Sites that offer isometric, square, circular geoboard papers include the brilliant nRich site and the excellent Illuminations site. The GeoDraw app for iPads is available from: GeoDraw – Jamtec (Stoke) Ltd From nRich you can get on A4 paper: Dotted Isometric … Read More

Once you have done this, make a square for another area (use integers only) – choose an area that is not equal to a square number.