Primary Maths Challenge Group

Local primary schools identify up to six year 6 pupils with high prior attainment in Maths. The project currently runs with two local primaries, another two are keen to join. 

The pupils engage in a weekly maths session at Caterham, during the school day, led by a Caterham maths specialist. Support for these sessions is provided by Caterham sixth formers who are studying maths A Level (Maths Ambassadors). The sessions focus on higher order Maths study, drawing resources from the UK Maths Olympiad and Problem Solving of the style used by selective universities. Activities are designed to stimulate and challenge, promote smart working and growth minds set, without compromising later GCSE study by simply jumping ahead. There are ten sessions per year.

Aims

To develop higher order Maths skills and to improve school engagement and growth mind-set for year 6 pupils with excellent prior attainment in local primary schools.

Resources

The project is lead by a Caterham maths teacher, with Caterham providing catering and transport. Participating Primary Schools provide support with assessment and supervision during transport and the maths sessions.

Impact

Attitudinal assessment has been carried out on the impact in terms of 'growth mind-set', 'openness' and 'motivation' with control groups in the participating primary schools. Participating students showed an increase in the three metrics measured by ImpactEd - Growth Mindset, openness and motivation. The increase in Growth Mindset was particularly significant at 5.2% and students showed a 5% increase in academic attainment.

St John's Pupil 1 - 'I am really glad I joined these lessons because it has made me way more confident in my answers and not afraid to fail.  It has made me socialise and enjoy maths.'

St John's Pupil 2 - 'I enjoyed that it challenged me because I found it quite hard. I should be longer, it was fun.'

Furzefield Teacher - 'The children enjoyed the sessions and they seemed to begin to view maths in a different way. At the beginning, it was all about the correct answer. After the first session, they started to see that it was not necessarily so but, trial and error and finding out the best way to calculate.'

We believe that each of the children who attended have grown in confidence with their own ability in Maths.