St Raphaela’s Primary School
Action Plan for Mathematics
September 2012 – June 2013
Rationale:
This action plan for Maths describes the response by Saint Raphaela’s Primary Schoolto the challenges and opportunities posed by the National Strategy to Improve
Literacy & Numeracy among children & young people 2011 – 2020. It was created by all the members of the teaching staff in consultation with the parental body as
well as with the Board of Management of the school.
Aims of the plan:
To allow every child in our school to gain increasing confidence and competence in choosing and applying the appropriate skills of Mathematics and adopting these
skills in everyday life.
Background & History of this plan:
The school became aware of the National Numeracy & Literacy Strategy in October 2011. The Principal invited all teachers who were interested in attending a one
day seminar on this initiative, its implications for schools and possible ways of implementing it. Named Teacher was staff representative and she and Principal
attended an introductory seminar given by the PCSP on this subject.
Named Teacher then circulated a detailed summary of the Seminar notes outlining the main points of the Strategy for all teachers and for the Board. Principal
briefed the Parents Association on the main points of the strategy and gave the members copies of the leaflet “Literacy & Numeracy For Learning & Life.”
We decided as a staff to focus on Numeracy for the year 2012 – 2013 and to focus on Literacy in 2013 – 2014.
In creating an action plan for raising standards in Mathematics, our first task was to gather information about how our school is currently performing in the teaching
and learning ofMaths and in what areas we could do better. We gathered both quantitative and qualitative data, in the manner detailed below, in order to construct
our targets for the year ahead:
i.
With regards the use of quantitative data for the purposes of addressing learning needs, we analysed the standardised data reported from our latest
Sigma-T results (October 2011). We collated the Sigma T results for each curricular strand at each class level, and presented them in table form. As a
staff we then identified the strands where children scored well and where they did not. Each teacher then set personal targets for her class based on
identified areas of weakness.
ii.
iii.
Having formulated cumulative frequency tables and graphs to illustrate the performance of each class group, in each strand of the maths curriculum, we
consulted with a member of the Board of Management, to help us analyse and interpret our overall Maths standardised results over the past six years. This
is Named Board Member’s area of expertise and he helped illuminate for us patterns of performance within both Maths and English.
Reflecting the importance of parental input and support as a qualitative element of our self-evaluation, we consulted the entire parental body. In May 2011
we asked parents to let us know how they feel their child is performing in Mathematics. The short written questionnaire, circulated to every parent in the
school, asked parents to comment on how their child felt about maths activities; in which areas they felt the school was succeeding with regards the
teaching of maths; which areas the parents felt the school could improve in the teaching of maths; and whether the parents felt comfortable with
supporting their children in maths, and if not, what support the school could offer to support parents in this regard. Approximately seventy per cent of
parents replied and their replies were very affirming while also posing some challenges for us. The main challenge was to let parents know how we teach and
what we teach when and how to support at home. At the same time we asked all children from Third Class upwards to complete a questionnaire on their own
experience of Maths and a summary of both findings together with a summary of Named Board Member’s analysis and findings is available in our Numeracy
Plan folder.
On the basis of all the gathered information, the following areas for development were highlighted:
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Children with lower scores on standardised tests are not progressing as quickly in Maths as they are in English.
Children are experiencing difficulty in applying skills to problems and relating maths to real life issues/situations
Children need more experience of interpreting and representing data.
Parents are unsure how Maths is taught, what to expect at each class level and how they can support their child with maths at home. Very many
parents said that they would appreciate tips and guidance for supporting maths at home. They would like to create concrete opportunities for
practising maths skills at home.
Teachers need more practical/concrete Maths equipment in the classroom.
We need to further develop our use of ICT and the interactive board as a teaching tool in Mathematics.
The school needs to offer gifted children even more opportunities to extend their learning while at the same time supporting those who are less
able. ( differentiation)
The following targets were agreed by the whole staff to address these areas. They were ratified by the Board of Management in June 2012 and will be reviewed in
June 2013.
Having looked at the three possible areas for self-evaluation we have chosen to focus on “Learner Outcomes” in this first phase of our planning to raise standards in
Numeracy. We realise that our evaluation and target focus will also touch on “Learning Experiences” and “Teacher Practice” and although we hope that these areas
will be positively affected by the work we do, these will not be our main focus at this initial stage.
Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
Target
Required Action
Leaders
Cost
Principal,
Class Teachers
(3rd-6th)
Nil
To improve by 5% the number
of children scoring 50% and
over in the Problem Solving
strand in 5th and 6th Class
Introduce Problem of the week in assembly as an
opportunity for children to re-voice their strategies and
share with others, and celebrate success.
RUCSAC – (Read, Understand, Choose, Solve/Show,
Answer and Check) will be introduced as a problem
solving rubric, which will be reinforced from 3rd – 6th
Class Teachers
(3rd – 6th)
Success Criteria / Review
Nil
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Place Value , from the Number
Strand, as relevant to different
classes, will be focussed on
(2014-2015)
Having evaluated the opportunities within the Planet
Maths programme as a staff, the school will purchase
Planet maths for children from 3rd-6th, and continue
using the programme in the Junior Classes. We will use
the opportunities presented therein as a basis for
problem solving. We will also make use of the excellent
ICT integration opportunities within the programme.
We will look for opportunities within the teaching of
S.E.S.E and S.P.H.E as well as other curricular areas, to
integrate the development and consolidation of problem
solving skills and skills pertaining to the interpretation
of data.
Real life application of problem solving will be focussed
upon in teaching each week and will be reflected in
teachers’ planning.
As a staff, teachers will come together to share
resources and methodologies that have proven
successful in the teaching of problem solving.
To release one teacher to engage with the PDST as a
Numeracy Link teacher to feedback on good practice and
effective methodologies, particularly for the target
strands. A numeracy team will also be established.
€1,500
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Principal ,
Named Class
Teacher
All teachers
Nil
All teachers
Nil
All teachers
Nil
Named teacher
Nil
Children’s engagement will be
monitored
Staff engagement with new
methodologies and feedback
There will be a positive effect
on the scores in Sigma T problem
solving tests in May 2013 and
onwards
Differentiation
Target
Required Action
Leaders
Cost
For those children in our school
scoring STEN 4 or less in the
SIGMA-T we aim to maintain
their scores or improve it within
the percentile.
The school will more towards team teaching within class
to support children’s learning rather than withdrawal.
The Learning Support team will target children at risk of
underachievement as well as extending the children who
are high achievers.
Class Teachers,
Learning
Support,
Principal
Nil
We will revise our timetables to reflect the
requirements of the Strategy (250mins at Senior Level
and 205 minutes at Junior Level)
All teachers
Nil
We will communicate as a staff to design a Learning
Support timetable that enables all teacher to engage in
team teaching during maths time
All teachers
Nil
The school will provide differentiated maths resources
at each class level (Brain Box and Class Boxes)
All teachers,
Principal
€1,500
The school will increase the use of
manipulative/concrete material (through class boxes) as
well as the provision of maths puzzles and brain box
All teachers,
Named teacher
See above
Teachers will seek to extend the application of basic
maths skills through higher order questioning, reasoning,
inference and hypotheses – opportunities for CPD will be
sought out and shared amongst staff.
All teachers
Nil
51% of our children ( 119)
scored a STEN of 8 or above in
May 2012. We would like to
increase this precentage by at
least 1% in May 2013
Success Criteria
 The number of children scoring
STEN4 or under will decrease to 9.
 The number of children scoring
STEN 8 or above will increase to
129
 Teachers timetables will reflect
the additional time allocated to
Numeracy development
 Teachers will have engaged
purposefully in team teaching.
 Children will have demonstrated
self-assessment skills recorded in
either copy books or assessment
folders.
Promoting Positive Attitudes to Maths
Target
There will be an increase in
positive parental attitudes
towards maths and feel
confident in motivating their
children to learn
To decrease the reported
levels of anxiety or worry
about Maths amongst children
by 2% over two years.
Required Action
Leaders
Cost
Come together and create booklets outlining what we
cover at each class level, the language used, the methods
that are appropriate and activities in daily life that can be
used at home to support each strand.
Named teacher
All Staff
€300
Success Criteria
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A seminar will be arranged to raise awareness of the
importance of positive parental attitudes towards maths,
and to outline the spiralling nature of the revised primary
curriculum.
Principal,
Named parent,
Representative
from Froebel
College of
Education
€200
Children’s attitudes towards maths will be investigated and
addressed at class levels (with the benefit of insights
from pupil questionnaires)
Positive feedback is reinforced, children’s efforts relative
to all ability levels will be acknowledged through Teacher
awards, and Principal awards.
Named teacher
All Teachers
Nil
All Teachers
All children
Nil
All teachers
Nil
All children
All teachers
nil
Meaningful feedback will be recorded in children’s copies.
Children’s engagement with self-assessment, will allow
teachers to address the concerns of children with less
positive dispositions towards maths. (learning log, traffic
lights, smiley faces etc)
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Parents will be re-surveyed and
attitudes will be reported as
more positive
Parents will report being more
confident/able to help their
children with maths homework
Seminar will have taken place
with 80% attendance rate.
Children will be re-surveyed and
attitudes will be reported as
more positive
Meaningful recording will be
evidenced within copy books
Self-assessment will be
evidenced within copies or files.
This plan was created in June 2012 and ratified by the Board of Management. It was revised in February, after input from Numeracy Link day and our Inspector’s
visit and will be reviewed again in June 2013.