Attracting Girls into Mathematics
Case Study: Shenley Brook End Academy
UCL IOE’s research project for the Further Mathematics Support Programme selected this school and four others as
successful in attracting girls to study A–level mathematics. The factors behind girls’ participation were explored in
focus groups with teachers and Year 11 and 12 girls at the school, then compared with the other cases and findings
from research to identify what were the shared strengths and how they worked in local contexts.
“She makes references to maybe what you would do in A-levels and she would contrast it. So suggesting that like
everyone can do it and it's definitely an option for everyone. So they're very aware that you can take A-level.”
(Year 13 student helper about Year 10 maths teacher)
Shenley Brook End, a popular, mixed comprehensive 14-18 converter Academy of about 1500 pupils, recruits from a
district of a large town. Most students are White British, and an above average proportion is from established minority
ethnic groups. In 2012/13 nearly 40% of girls studying A-Levels in the college took Mathematics, and 5% took Further Mathematics. The school also offers
Statistics at AS level. Students join these courses with a range of GCSE grades, including some Cs. As well as GCSE, most students in both top sets are
prepared for Level 2 Further Mathematics and students in sets 2-3 are taught GCSE Statistics.
Teachers provide flexible opportunities for students to build and
check understanding
The department aims to create a “bias towards maths”. Teachers
promote discussion and collaboration, providing challenge and not
giving students “something they find straightforward.” Confidence is
treated as changeable and girls feel that teachers provide emotional
and cognitive support: “If you say you can't do something she tells you
you can and she goes through it with you”. Teachers guide students to
make choices about the questions they work on, and courses they
take.
One influential initiative is the use of reflection books through Years 7 11, in which students produce one-page summaries of their learning
(picture above). These can be thoughtful, personalised records that
support resilience: “Instead of redoing it, I can just use that reflection
from say Year 9,when I understood it then, if I forgot what it's about. As
you move on it's like you're producing your own revision guide. Because
it's all about how you’ve understood it and you’ve interpreted it.”
Girls feel well-known and valued,
and have reasons to trust
teachers’ assurances that they
will succeed
Teachers purposefully spend time
in lessons and in lunchtime
conversations encouraging girls:
“You are capable of it. You are a
perfect A-level student.’ It's a lot of
that”.
Exposure to success with
challenging mathematics during
Key Stage 4 mitigates the risks in
choosing an A-level that is “bigged
up to be this thing that is really
difficult.”
Maths input into careers advice
Careers advice in the school starts
from Year 8 and promotes
mathematics as keeping options
open, with a particular emphasis on
the broad career relevance of
mathematics with statistics as an
accompaniment to popular A-levels
such as psychology and economics.
Teaching makes connections with Alevel material and girls feel they are
making informed choices. One trip
introduces Year 10 students to
statistics, mechanics and decision
mathematics.