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These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

Report of the Expert Panel on Core Mathematics

This report, from 2013, contains the findings of an expert panel commissioned by the Department for Education to report on Core Mathematics. The panel aimed to provide clear guidelines to inform the development of new Level 3 mathematics qualifications to be used by the Department for Education in deciding which qualifications would be counted as Core Mathematics qualifications in performance measures.

The report set out the principles that underpinned the design of qualifications to meet the requirements of core mathematics qualifications. It does this by first providing guidelines on the purposes, size, aims and learning outcomes that should be expected. The expert panel also specified subject content for core mathematics qualifications. As core mathematics qualifications should ensure that students use mathematics to model real situations and solve problems, the expert panel explained what it understood by ‘problem solving’ and what this means for core mathematics qualifications.

The panel also emphasised that content should be taught in a way which ensures that connections are made across content areas and uses technology reflectively and strategically. Assessment objectives, a scheme of assessment and a suggested grading structure are set out, to ensure the fulfilment of the learning objectives.

Finally, the expert panel set out ways in which new mathematics qualifications will need to be supported if they are to fulfil their purpose and equip students with mathematical skills for further study or work.

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