Andrew Cook, Ofsted Regional Director for the North West
The chanting of times tables was a familiar part of everyday learning when I was at school. I’m sure it was for many of you too.
Not usually the most controversial of topics, times tables have caused a bit of a stir in the media recently. A few weeks ago the Government announced it would be trialling tests in some primary schools to check whether 8 and 9 year olds know their tables, with the plan to roll out the tests out nationally later.
So will Ofsted be checking up on how pupils are doing in these tests? Not quite.
Our inspectors look at all kinds of information when inspecting a school. This is so we can build up the best possible picture about the quality of education there. And yes, test results are a part of this – because they can help us to understand the progress pupils are making.
When it comes to maths though, what are inspectors looking at?
To start with, inspectors will want to see that mathematics is part of a broad, balanced curriculum. Pupils deserve to experience lots of different subjects, not just the ones they are tested on at the end of key stage 1 or 2.
As well as checking the school’s curriculum plans, inspectors will visit classrooms to observe pupils being taught. This is so we can see what it’s like to be a pupil in the school on an average day, and the kind of teaching they receive. Inspectors also look at workbooks and talk to pupils about their learning.
We want to see that schools are:
- making sure maths teaching is consistently good for pupils across all abilities and age groups
- teaching pupils to understand new concepts, methods, and to think and reason mathematically by themselves
- equipping pupils to solve different problems using the maths skills and knowledge they’ve been taught
- helping pupils use their mathematics knowledge and skills across other parts of the curriculum too.
It goes without saying that it’s really important for pupils to be confident mathematicians – whether that’s for a particular job they want to do later on in life, or for life outside of school more generally. Despite the advent of calculators, and now smartphones, there will always be call for a bit of mental arithmetic!
I encourage you to get involved with your child’s learning as much as possible. Find out more about how their school teaches mathematics, including times tables, and what you can do to help support them with this at home.