The National Curriculum for Mathematics was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. The purpose of the National Curriculum was to standardise the content taught across schools in order to raise...

The 1989 document was replaced by a revised version, Mathematics in the National Curriculum (1991). A major aim of the revision was to make assessment more manageable, whilst keeping the content of mathematics unchanged. The revisions came into force on 1 August 1992.

The 14 Attainment Targets (ATs) were...

In 1993 Sir Ron Dearing, Chairman of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA), reviewed the whole national curriculum and made recommendations on slimming down the curriculum, and improving its administration. The revised curriculum which was implemented from August 1995 was not to be altered for five...

Although the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) carried out a radical overhaul of the curriculum, the mathematical content hardly changed. Key Stages One, Two and Three had their own Programmes of Study (PoS). Key Stage Four was now divided into Foundation and Higher. The PoS set out what students should...

This resource from Ofsted, published in May 2012, is a full report and summary of the findings into the teaching of mathematics, based predominantly on evidence from inspections between January 2008 and July 2011 in maintained schools in England. Attention is drawn to serious inequalities in students’ experiences...

The National Curriculum Council (NCC) published non-statutory guidance to support the teaching of mathematics in the National Curriculum in 1989, and again in 1991, to accompany the first revision of the National Curriculum.

This resource from Ofsted is a report published in September 2008, based principally on evidence from inspections of mathematics between April 2005 and December 2007 in 192 maintained schools in England. It describes how the best teaching is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and focused clearly on developing students'...

A collection of teaching resources, provided by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), which were published in a series of online magazines covering early years, primary, secondary, and further education for teachers of mathematics....

The Education Reform Act of 1988 established, amongst other things, the idea of a National Curriculum (NC) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The National Curriculum set out to “promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society”; and “prepare such...

A report from the National Curriculum Council (NCC). In January 1991 the Secretary of State for Education and Science announced an urgent review of the attainment targets in mathematics because:
• the structure of the 14 targets was proving an obstacle to...

Prior to 1989 subjects such as CDT (Craft, Design and Technology - still then often called woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing in schools), Home Economics, Textiles (or Needlework) and Electronics were all separate subjects in secondary schools.

Since the introduction of the first National Curriculum...

The National Curriculum for Mathematics was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. The basis of the curriculum and its associated testing was to standardise the content taught across schools in...

In 2015-16, the regional Network has been found to have sustained a strong upward trajectory in the amount of CPD that it is delivering, increasing its level of CPD delivery by 45% compared to 2014-15, and surpassing the levels of CPD delivery achieved in previous years.  

The Network has also forged new...

Ideas and resources for STEM activities for National Tree Week for primary and secondary pupils.

The book ‘Nix the Tricks’ looks at tricks and short cuts used in maths, explains why they are so damaging, and then provides an alternative method that teaches for understanding. If you cringe when a student says ‘cross multiply’ whenever they see a problem involving fractions, then this is the book for you.