Sixty-Eighth Republic - still under temporary guardianship…

[MrsHerculePoirot]

In the absence of staff and her fabulous thread titles and witty openers here is a 68th thread. The broom cupboard is overflowing so time for another Republic. Hopefully we hear from staff soon.

Stolen from previous threads…
'You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement for school staff to let off steam.

Baiters, haters, goaders, and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

Do not give the staffroom password to non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.'

I'm in year 5 so not sure where exactly the year 3s are but some of my year 5s still struggle with division facts... I've been giving missing number problems (eg ?x 7=35) and doing lots of "what's 6x8? And 8x6? And 48/6? 48/8?"
How quickly is he expected to answer them? Would he have time to count how many 5s are in eg 45?

It is a standard expectation to know those, yes. However, it's not mental division. It's inversed multiplication facts.

If he knows that 7 x 5 = 35 then 35 divided by 5 must be 7. It's important to think about them that way because them he isn't performing calculations in his head, he's simply reversing a number sentence.

Depending on his level of struggle, you could return to concrete resources in order to embed that relationship in his mind, almost proving it to him. If it's not a struggle to that degree then simply reinforcing division facts drawn from multiplication would help.

You: If I know 5 x 8 is 40, I also know...
Him: 40 divided by 5 is 8!

@WhenSheWasBad

Sorry but could any primary school teachers help?

Ds has just turned 8 and is in Year 3. He is having a huge issue passing his 5 times table test (it’s an online game thing, a TT rockstars style one).

He seems to be ok with the times table but is massively struggling with the division questions (35/7 = ?, 45/5 = ?).

Ds keeps getting so frustrated and upset. Is mental division standard at the start of Year 3. We’ve been slogging away at it for 2 weeks and all the family are throughly sick of it now.

Yes, he will be expected to know them up to 12 by the end of Yr 4.

I find that the timed aspect of TTRS is too much for some children - it sends them into a panic - so I would recommend a slower game. Hit the Button has an untimed practise mode www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button. IR maths also has some good games www.teachingtables.co.uk/

Some helpful techniques that I like to use:

Clock-method.
Draw a clock face with the numbers (1, 2, 3...). Then, in the middle put the table it is (x5). Around the outside, write the answers (5, 10, 15...).
Say a multiplication "5 x 7". The child finds 7 and can see the answer is 35 so says that. Keep repeating with different ones.

Once the child is confident with an answer, rub it off. Keep asking that multiplication though. The aim is to get all numbers rubbed off (all of that times table able to be recalled instantly).

Just reverse the process for division (keep the outside number but rub out the inside number).

Leitner Boxes.
www.dyslexiaoutreach.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Leitner-learning-system-visual.docx

This link explains how to use them. It can be done with spacing, like explained here, but it doesn't have to be.

Clock-method

That is so sensible thank you.

Bless him he’s just passed it.

And has now proudly announced that he’s ready for his 4 times tables. I do not have the energy tonight but this weekend I’m going to do some clocks for him.

Really appreciate your help.

Aw that's very cute.

Happy to help. Multiplication and division facts just need to be memorised. It's like in reading: we don't expected children to always use phonics: it's just a tool to help them learn. Eventually, they'll recognise words by sight because they just know them and use phonics only for unfamiliar vocabulary. Times tables need to be thought of in the same way.

Expect*

Aw that's very cute Thanks, it didn’t feel cute. It was painful

I think your clock method is going to really help in the future though.

Name changed - I gained many grey hairs trying to get ds to learn tables - he never did, well some of the easier ones but not the majority. Dyslexia and ADHD, I am assuming this is connected? Even had a tutor.

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/11/students-england-repeated-mock-a-levels-gcses-ofqual

I can't face another year of CAGs/TAGs...

Primary colleagues- subject intent statements? My intent as a subject leader is that all pupils learn the skills and knowledge content in the national curriculum for my subject. Surely this is the intent at all primary schools in the land? Why am I expected to write some big, long intent statement? Am I correct in thinking it is all a load of navel gazing, time wasting bollocks or am I missing something? Enlighten me please.

Am I correct in thinking it is all a load of navel gazing, time wasting bollocks or am I missing something

You are correct.

Intent isn't about one statement (that's surface level navel gazing). It's about laying out your vision for your subject.
Where do you want kids to be?
Why do you want that?
How do you want your subject to affect them more generally?
What does the research say?
What do you want for staff?
What do you have in place for that?
Where are you developing your subject?
Why are you doing that?
How have you structured learning and progression?
Why have you done it like that?
Where does your subject sit in school?
How do you want it to influence other subjects?
What's the ideal implementation look like? (Leading you on to assessing that)

@BabyYoda9

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/11/students-england-repeated-mock-a-levels-gcses-ofqual

I can't face another year of CAGs/TAGs...

I can't do another year of tags. But we do 2 sets of mocks anyway, and are planning to keep them in school (we normally send them home with the kids as revision tools) just in case we need evidence for grades. I do NOT want to have a repeat of the last 2 years though. Proper exams please.

I'm confused by subject leadership in my school. I lead history and PSHE. The deputy head wrote the curriculum, no one else had any input. No changes are allowed really. So I can't genuinely answer any of those questions about my subject.

When I was last ofsteded, I was maths lead. Time before that I was English lead. Was easy to answer those questions.

Sounds like your deputy is fucking up subject leader development and ownership Rule. He'll also be responsible when it bites the school in the arse when you get your next Ofsted inspection and subject leaders can't talk with confidence about their own subject.

Primary ‘deep dives’ are just bonkers. Since I’ve been teaching I’ve coordinated geography, DT, music, Art, history and French! I haven’t got A levels or a degree in any of those things but the folder was just thrust on me.

Who’s in charge of what changes yearly as people leave/go on Mat leave and no TLRs exist for subject leads.

Maybe it’s extra shit as we are a small school, but I think it’s stupid to make this the focus of primary inspections-I’m not an ‘expert’ in any one of those things-I’m a primary teacher and teach all subjects.

I’m presuming that the curriculum is written by ‘experts’ () who have done evidence based research into each subject and the progression is evident in the national curriculum. If it’s not, then why not?

progression is evident in the national curriculum
Most subject's primary curriculums would fit on a page or two. No thought out progression there.

Primary ‘deep dives’ are just bonkers.
Absolutely! As a primary subject lead (for two subjects and part of a third), it's unrealisable to expect me to have the same in depth understanding, input and monitoring as secondary HoDs who are paid for that role and only teach that one subject.

Talking of curriculum, Mark McCourt has made access to the Complete Maths curriculum free. It's an immense piece of work from Reception up to A-level with how to teach each topic, common misconceptions, example questions, key vocab. If you teach maths, you have to take a look at it.

Sign up for a free account here: twitter.com/emathsuk/status/1458536019071012867?s=21

Log into the curriculum stuff here: completemaths.com/ (go to Classroom and curriculum).

Incredible stuff.

Oh don’t! I’m having flashbacks to my brief period as an infant teacher in a tiny village school in 1992-3! Despite the fact that I was an NQT (a newly invented term that everyone was a bit unsure about), and that I was really struggling, I had five such folders thrust upon me. Presumably the Head felt it was reasonable as she was busy Heading, being the Juniors teacher, and leading the other five subjects. Although she was very odd…

At least I got a lovely Music and Art training day out of it, which taught me songs and drawing techniques I remember to this day!

Most subject's primary curriculums would fit on a page or two. No thought out progression there.

Same for Secondary!

Why am I compelled to look at that maths stuff??

I’m resisting the same bonkers compulsion MrsH!

Curriculum intent has made it to primary then? Lucky you.

Friday people! 2 weeks down and 5 to go here. Feel like we’ve been back months already.

@Iamnotthe1 thanks for your reply. I will read up more on it.

It still feels like every school is being made to do things separately that should be done centrally. Lots and lots of replication which I think feeds the workload and work/life balance issues.

Oh good lord. TAGS...

Testing those kids. Test them teachers! Check that they've learned it all (spoiler, they haven't - I teach a practical subject and there's only so much that can be done via screens) but let's test them all. Again. Repeatedly. Let's suck every iota of joy out of the curriculum for the poor wee buggers until they and their teachers lie broken and defeated on the shores of life ready for whatever crap the terrible tories throw their way next...