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Some of the other topics for which we have found consistent methods and collaborative planning to be particularly successful are: use of bars for teaching ratio and proportion, calculations with fractions and percentages, and use of grids for expanding and factorising quadratic functions. We have also agreed teaching methods for multiplying and dividing decimals and finding nth terms of linear and quadratic sequences. SEND and lower ability students have benefitted from the consistent approach between one teacher and another, the focus on understanding and the high-quality resources provided. Teachers have welcomed the opportunity to discuss pedagogy, participate in collaborative planning and share resources. We shall continue to review and improve our consistent methods in order to ensure that students enjoy mathematics and achieve to the best of their ability.

We found that the bars promote a good understanding of the balance method and the use of inverses when both methods are illustrated side by side, as shown below:

Once a more formal method of solving equations is established students can then be set equations involving negative values, this is a logical progression. The use of bars was promoted to support SEND and lower ability students and has been used successfully with students of all abilities. Bar modelling is also promoted as a way to introduce the rearrangement of formulae. For example, students may be asked to write down all the different formulae that can be represented by the bars below.

Winter 2018

Vol. 23 No. 3

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