In the summer term of 2021, the Herts for Learning maths team had the pleasure of working with over 130 schools across Hertfordshire and beyond as part of our Summer Success in Maths Project.

Diagnostic assessments were used to identify gaps in learning, informing how teachers would plan to teach and secure specific prerequisite skills and knowledge to prepare children for their new year group in the autumn term.

Data shared within the project provided a good oversight of strengths and weaknesses across the participating schools. More details about the findings from the project are shared in the blog, ‘Coming back stronger in mathematics’.

An interesting aspect stood out for us when analysing the data from Year 5 and Year 6 children – the children’s use of division strategies. Of course, this blog is not aimed solely at these year groups – strategies for division begin before UKS2.

So… to division.

Division is a concept which often stirs maths anxiety into both adults and children. Yet, as Rachel Rayner points out in her blog, ‘Divide and conquer: Do we share or do we group?’ , division is perhaps given less space in the maths curriculum than addition, subtraction and multiplication.

Let me put you on the spot (sorry!). How would you solve the following division calculations? If appropriate, how might the children in your class tackle them?

• 84 ÷ 6
• 1872 ÷ 6

I wonder if you used formal calculation strategies as below, where short division has been used to find the quotient in each calculation.

Or perhaps you used an informal method by using mental methods and perhaps jottings?

In a previous blog, ‘Old maths vs new maths – the balancing act’, we explored how using ‘newer’ methods may make calculations easier and more manageable – and we will explore this idea again here.

Let’s take the first calculation – 84 divided by 6.

Is using short division the most efficient method for this calculation? If a Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6 pupil used this method, it would be worth considering how secure pupils are with connecting their knowledge of multiplication and multiples to division.

You might consider the following:

• do pupils look closely at the numbers involved before deciding on a calculation strategy?
• how confident are pupils with regrouping numbers flexibly and can they see the usefulness of this strategy for this calculation?
• are pupils really secure with the value of the digits in the number or are they following a procedure to solve the calculation?

It could be argued that the most efficient way to tackle this calculation is to look for the multiples of 6 within 84. We might be hoping to hear or see the following from pupils:

• I know that it is greater than 10 groups of 6 as 10 groups of 6 is 60. 60 and 24 is equal to 84
• we could regroup 84 into useful multiples of 6
• 60 is a multiple of 6 and so is 24

Within the Year 5 and Year 6 diagnostics, we wanted to assess whether pupils understood that regrouping numbers to divide is a useful strategy. The results made for interesting reading.

In the early summer term Year 5 paper, pupils were given the following question:

When dividing 98 by 7, which would be the most helpful way to regroup 98 to aid the calculation?

Can you guess which answer might have been the most popular choice?

Only 30% identified that the most useful regroup to divide 98 by 7 would be 70 and 28 – 70 divided by 7 and 28 divided by 7.

42%, however, chose response A.

20% chose C.

4% chose D.

4% did not respond.

This was out of 1,253 pupils across Hertfordshire schools.

Of course, all the part whole models show regroups of 98, and although answer C is regrouped into multiples of 7, they are arguably less helpful than the regroups of 70 and 28 which are likely to allow known facts to be used.

In the end of term Year 6 paper, pupils tackled a similar question:

Nadia is dividing by 9 using a mental method.

Which of these regroups for 297 would be most useful?

Only 29% of children (of the 566 in this data set) accurately identified that 270 and 27 were the most useful regroups of 297 in this case.

Again, the most popular response was answer A, with 36% of the children regrouping into hundreds and tens and ones without recognising that neither 200 nor 97 are multiples of 9.

Pupil scores showed more confidence with the following 2 questions:

72% of 1,253 Year 5s correctly identified 204 as the quotient.

Out of 1,054 year 6 pupils, 78% correctly identified 903 as the quotient.

It would be interesting to know how many children reverted to a formal written method to solve these questions rather than really looking at the numbers within each dividend.

Much like the calculation I posed towards the start of the blog, 1872 ÷ 6, the numbers within the calculation have been carefully chosen. Within these dividends are common multiples of the divisors. What we are aiming for here is securing understanding of regrouping as well as the use of base facts and place holders if required.

For example, for 816 ÷ 4:  

Again, a written method is not necessarily needed but may be the default method for many of our children and these can be prone to error if children lack true understanding of ‘the procedure’.

Regrouping for division may not be such a ‘new’ calculation method. Let’s consider the ‘chunking’ method of division – chunking off multiples of 10 and subtracting these from the dividend until a number less than a multiple of 10 was left. Really, this is what we are doing when we are regrouping but this is just much more efficient.

So how could we expose and encourage this strategy with pupils in KS2?

Here is a possible suggestion of small steps. The examples could be adapted for use in lower key stage 2.

• Begin by asking pupils to regroup a number in multiple ways using base-10 or place value counters. Pupils could be encouraged to represent regroups pictorially through part whole models.

• Following this exploration, the calculation 105 ÷ 3 is introduced. The multiple ways of regrouping 105 can then be revisited asking pupils which would be most useful for the calculation and why. Pupils may respond with the following:
  • ’90 and 15 are both multiples of 3.’
  • ‘ I know that 90 is a multiple of 3 because 9 is a multiple of 3. 90 is ten times greater than 9’
  • ’30, 30, 30 and 15 could be useful regroups as they are multiples of 3.’

All contributions are valuable and can then be further discussed.

• A recording scaffold such as the following example can then be used for pupils to explore calculations and question prompts such as:

• explore further examples with pupils choosing their most useful regroups
• useful regroups could be provided with pupils asked to use the given information to solve the calculation such as in this destination question:

The data collected in the summer doesn’t tell us that pupils cannot regroup numbers but perhaps it suggests that they are less confident with flexible regrouping (this learning starts in KS1) and with the knowledge of why we might want to use regrouping as a strategy for division – to make the calculation easier and more manageable.

Perhaps children can get a little hung up on the apparent sophistication of ‘complex’ methods when, why wouldn’t we want to make things easier for ourselves!

Moreover, by truly understanding and being able to manipulate the numbers in front of us - by creating useful regroups if appropriate for example – is actually perhaps a more sophisticated way of solving calculations.

References:

Questions and models from ESSENTIALmaths.

In our work with schools, progression in foundation subjects is a common topic of conversation.

Even when the curriculum for a foundation subject is well-established, with topics and units well mapped, explaining how pupils make progress can seem hard. There could be many reasons for this; it might be we have not fully identified what the most important learning is, why it has been chosen, and how it has been sequenced. It could be that alongside the content knowledge of the subject, we need to further explore the themes and concepts, skills and disciplinary learning that also build – as this is where some of the progress in learning lies.

This is a vast area, and to try to cover it in a single blog might not do it justice.

So, over a series of blogs we will explore progression in foundation subjects, considering what should be in a well-planned curriculum, to ensure that pupils make progress and get better at a subject.

This first blog will set the scene across foundation subjects more generally, before further blogs dive into individual subjects, giving specific examples.

Our overall aim is to support schools when reviewing their curriculum, by considering:

          What does it mean to make progress in foundation subjects?

          How can we ensure children get better at foundation subjects, as they move through the school?

The often-used phrase ‘the curriculum is the progression model’ suggests that if the curriculum is well-planned, then by moving through the curriculum pupils are making progress: They should know more, remember more and be able to do more.

If the curriculum is the progression model, then getting the curriculum ‘right’ – the components and the composites – is essential for pupils to make progress as intended.

I might stick my neck out at this point and say that I don’t think there is one single perfect curriculum for any subject. Schools are not carbon copies of each other, and so neither should their curriculums be. I strongly believe that, without necessarily needing to reinvent the wheel, each school should make context-specific choices to ensure that their pupils experience and move through the curriculum that is right for them. 

There is another blog that looks at this as a theme: The moral imperative: creating a curriculum that develops identity, broadens horizons and enables success for all

Returning to progression; in the Ofsted publication ‘Inspecting the curriculum’ published in May 2019, Paragraph 5 has the now well-known phrase:

          ‘The end result of a good, well-taught curriculum is that pupils know more and are able to do more.’

Inspecting the curriculum: Revising inspection methodology to support the education inspection framework, Paragraph 5

This is a helpful point: if pupils are making progress in their learning they should know more and be able to do more. In order to explore what pupils should know more about and be able to do more of, let’s turn our focus to what makes up a subject.

The learning within each subject is layered. There is often a content layer, which might also give us our topic or unit titles. There are also layers underpinning this, of concepts, threads or pillars, which go across the topics/units, and through being revisited, the understanding of which grows and deepens. There is also a disciplinary layer to each subject – how the expert in that field works and thinks, what they do and how they behave. Understanding the disciplinary side of each subject is also part of the learning and should also be mapped, so that it can also progress and deepen over time.

We might start by mapping the topics or units to be taught. This top level often gives us the content coverage. In history this might include topics such as ‘The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain’. In art and design, we might focus a unit of work on the artist Joan Miró.

These topics or units are often underpinned by further mapping and progression documents, as we aim to set out how pupils will get better at the subject. We might map the concepts and/or threads and how the learning progresses and deepens. We might also map the disciplinary learning, to ensure that repeated, helpful encounters also enable the disciplinary understanding to deepen over time.

To support this thinking, we have begun developing diagrams with ‘layers’ for each subject. Two of these are explored below for history and art.

Learning in primary history

Within primary history, topics or units usually focus on time periods (British and the wider world), significant people, themes and events. Some of these are specified by the national curriculum, particularly at KS2. The top level in the diagram above shows this topic/unit layer. In history, the title might also indicate the content to be covered, such as ‘Ancient Greece’.

These topics or units should then be underpinned by a focus on historical concepts such as ‘similarity and difference’. When studying the content of a topic or unit it should be framed within these historical concepts so that pupils can articulate, for example what stayed the same and what changed, or why it was significant. This is the second layer shown in the diagram above.

Over several units of learning in history, pupils should repeatedly meet the concepts of cause and consequence, continuity and change. These repeated encounters will become increasingly complex. Moving from what changed or stayed the same, to exploring the how and why.   

The next level in the diagram is referred to in the national curriculum as ‘abstract terms’. These threads might include ideas such as ‘trade’, ‘empire’ or ‘settlement’. There are many to choose from and schools select them, depending on their curriculum, school context and the needs of their pupils. These threads are another way to allow learning to spiral and deepen over time. Pupils should develop a rich schema built around the school’s selected threads by revisiting them over several topics or units of work, and each time, from a new angle or perspective, to deepen thinking.

This should all also be underpinned by the disciplinary learning; the opportunities to think and behave like a historian. This might include exploring historical questions, using evidence, considering arguments and interpretations. Pupils’ disciplinary learning should also progress and deepen. This might be in the types and range of evidence encountered, or in the understanding the nuance of different accounts of the same event.

So, to make progress in history, pupils need to gain the (content) knowledge set out, build an understanding of the concepts and threads, and develop their understanding of how a historian thinks and works. Considering these layers when mapping, using the diagram above, alongside the national curriculum for history, is probably a good place to start.

Learning in primary art and design

Within art and design, the national curriculum sets the focus for media and techniques as; drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques. In naming drawing, painting and sculpture, they appear indicate the status of these. At KS2 it also refers to improving ‘their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture…’

When mapping learning, specifying which one or more of these media and techniques a topic or unit is developing helps us to ensure that across the whole curriculum the planned content allows learning to build and progress. The exact learning focus can also be pinpointed to ensure that the most important learning and its order are identified.

The next layer in the diagram above is the threads, often called the elements of art, such as colour, shape and line. In the national curriculum at KS1, pattern features within these, but value/tone does not. So, for the purposes of the diagram, both have been included. It is within the aims of the national curriculum that pupils use ‘the language of art, craft and design techniques’ and having the elements of art as threads through the curriculum enables this.

Pupils also need to develop their disciplinary understanding, including knowing ‘about great artists, craft makers and designers’ and having the knowledge and understanding to evaluate and analyse creative works and to use a sketch book to record and review ideas.

To map how learning progresses in art and design, as well as mapping the topics or units, we might also map the media and technique being developed, specifying the important learning to be gained and how this builds, and the elements of art which best fit with this, so that the schema around the elements of art is developed. Finally, we might also map the disciplinary learning and how this progresses.

In summary, to answer our original question; what should be in a well-planned curriculum, to ensure that pupils make progress and get better at the subject?

As well as planning the topics or units (that identify coverage of content), we should, and many school already do, map how the learning within the concepts of that subject progresses and how threads are built up across topics, so that children develop their schemata – making connections. Disciplinary learning should also be mapped, so that children develop their ‘thinking like the expert’ over time.

Looking at this as layers (using the diagrams above) might help us clarify what is being mapped, how and why - for each layer, asking, ‘Have we identified the most important learning and how this will build?’

When mapping, leaders might want to consider;

• What is the intended residual learning from this topic or unit (what must be remembered)?
• What is the key learning (as knowledge and skills) that pupils are taking with them on their journey through this subject?
• Where and how will this learning connect to other learning?
• What learning is needed at this stage for future learning to be successful?

And, for each of these questions, looking beyond the coverage of content to also map the concepts, threads and disciplinary learning for the subject.

If the mapping described above is in place, and we can answer the questions, then we should be able to say that by moving through the curriculum pupils are making progress. I think this is what we mean when we say that the curriculum is the progression model.

In subsequent blogs we will take a deeper look into individual subjects, unpicking these ideas in further detail.

*This blog was oringinally published on 03/01/2024

You may have heard of the Department for Education’s (DfE) School Census but may not know much about it - it collects information from primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, maintained nurseries and academies and pupil referral units three times a year. SEN provision is collected for all pupils on roll every census day using the following codes: ‘E’ (Education, Health and Care plan) or ‘K’ (SEN support).

However, for SENCOs the spring term census is particularly important. This is when the DfE collects additional data for all on roll pupils with SEN. This year the census will be completed on Thursday 16th January 2025.   

This blog will give you a few top tips to make sure you are well-prepared, answer some frequently asked questions and explain what happens with the information after it has been submitted to the DfE. 

What do SENCOs need to do to prepare for the census?

Before January 16th have a conversation with whoever completes the School Census in your school (usually the office manager or school business manager) to ensure that the information held about the pupils with SEN in your management information system (MIS) is accurate.   

Check:

• Is the list of pupils identified with SEN on your MIS correct? 
• Do all pupils with SEN have an accurate SEN provision code description?

If you would like some more information about when to identify a child with SEN, then please refer to the SEND Code of Practice (paragraph 6.15). You may also find this recent article by Sara Alston useful:  Who should go on the school SEN register?

Is the SEN type code description correct?

To be recorded under one of the SEN types, there is no requirement for a pupil to have a specialist assessment, though it is important, as part of your ongoing conversations with families, that they are aware of the SEN type code descriptions the school is using.   

For the School Census, you must choose a SEN type code description from the list provided.  This is available in Hertfordshire’s SEND Toolkit. For 2024-25 the DfE has introduced an update to the Pupil SEN type codes to include Down Syndrome.

You will find more information about some of the SEND type descriptions in the SEND Code of Practice paragraphs 6.30 to 6.34.

• Is every pupil’s primary need – and, where appropriate any secondary need – recorded as an SEN type ranking?  Only two rankings are collected in the School Census - the most significant, or primary need, is ranked as ‘1’, with any secondary need ranked ‘2’.

If your school has an MIS support contract with HFL Education you will be able to find more information about how to record SEN on the Data Management Services Portal. If not, you will need to access any help guides provided by your school’s management information system (for example:  Arbor, SIMS, BromCom or ScholarPack).

Does my school have an SEN Unit or Resourced provision?

These indicators identify pupils with SEN who are members of a SEN unit or a specialist-resourced provision. 

• SEN units are special provisions within a mainstream school where the pupils with SEN are taught within separate classes for at least half of their time.
• Resourced provisions are places that are reserved at a mainstream school for pupils with a specific type of SEN, taught for at least half of their time within mainstream classes, but requiring a base and some specialist facilities around the school.

Schools and academies must only use these indicators where the SEN unit or resourced provision has been formally recognised as such by the local authority where the school is located. The school’s get information about schools (GIAS) record should indicate if the school has an SEN unit or a resourced provision.

What happens after the data has been submitted?

Submitting the correct data is important.

The data SENCOs submit is collated by the DfE who then use it to publish national SEN statistics in June every year.  You may not realise it, but this is the data used to create the SEND Context poster published annually in Hertfordshire’s SEND Toolkit - a helpful tool enabling SENCOs, school leaders and governors to understand their own school context.
 

For example, we know from the 2024 national SEN statistics that 13.6% of children are identified as receiving SEN support, and 4.8% of children have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).  We know that the most common type of need for those with SEN support continues to be speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

The School Census information is also used in other databases, such as Ofsted’s inspection data    summary report (IDSR) which is used by inspectors when preparing for and during inspection to access information about individual schools.               

If you have made any changes to your data, you may want to update your SEND Context poster and share with your leadership team and governors.

Make sure that parents have been informed of any changes to those identified with SEN. Follow up conversations in writing, giving a copy to parents as well as retaining a copy for the school’s records.

Please subscribe if you would like to receive new blogs from the SEND team as they are published: Subscribe

Links to resources that you might find useful: 

Complete the school census - Guidance - GOV.UK

SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years

SEND toolkit sixth edition | HFL Education

Special educational needs in England, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

Sara Alston article:  Who should go on the school SEN register?

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of the SEND team if you would like to explore this issue further. 

I’m going to make my apologies now and admit that this blog is a little self-indulgent, as I am writing about myself – specifically, my passion for running. But there is a broader point to it. It has been a journey of discovery to get to where I am now, and I feel I have learnt some interesting lessons about learning along the way, which I feel inspired to share.

A bit of context first of all: for most of my life I was not a keen participant in any form of sporting exercise – particularly competitive situations. This was especially true as a school pupil. I was the stereotypical ‘last one to get picked for the team’ and my lack of skills when it came to kicking a ball, throwing, catching or hitting anything with a bat or racket all made me part of the subset of my year group whom my PE teachers considered a lost cause or a laughing stock. My experience of sport was to be on the receiving end of ridicule and was therefore something to be avoided, if at all possible. Once I left school, and compulsory PE was a thing of the past, for the next 25 or so years, the only physical exercise I undertook was the occasional countryside walk – nothing too strenuous. (Side note – I am relieved to say that PE teaching is far more inclusive these days.)

So what changed? In my early 40s, something got me interested in trying to run. I can’t exactly remember what began this train of thought, but the realisation that I was putting on a bit of weight and that some of my clothes didn’t fit me anymore was certainly a factor. I loved to walk in the countryside, so why not up the pace a bit? The only problem being, if I tried to jog for more than 30 seconds, I was utterly breathless and unable to continue. That was when I discovered the ‘Couch to 5k’ programme. The information suggested that in just 9 weeks, I could convert from couch potato to being able to jog continuously for 30 minutes (typically equating to a 5 kilometre steady jog). I found it utterly incredulous to think that I would ever achieve that goal of 30 minutes’ continuous jogging, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief and give it a go.

To cut what could easily become an over-long story short, it worked. 10 weeks later (there was one week of the programme that I repeated) I was jogging for 30 minutes continuously. And the running app that I had started to use confirmed that I was indeed covering 5 km. 

So, what does any of this have to do with learning? Are there some generic points here that could be applied to any learning situation?

As I reflect on my journey from total non-runner to competent 5k runner and beyond, the following 9 factors occur to me:

Growth mindset & self-belief

When I started the Couch to 5k (C25k) programme, I wasn’t really convinced that it would work for me. My internal monologue was still very much telling me that I was a failure when it came to sports, and why should this time be any different? But I was willing to give it a try and within a few weeks I could tell that I was improving. I started to believe that it was possible, if I followed the expert advice. The negative internal voice would still pipe up from time to time, to remind me that I was useless at this, but I was beginning to develop a stronger alternative internal voice that could argue back. (Think Smeagol versus Gollum in Lord of the Rings, if you will.) “If this programme has worked for other people, why shouldn’t it work for me?” Beginning to believe that I had the power to improve, with practice and concerted effort, was an essential and key moment.

(NB I believe passionately in the power of developing a growth mindset in our learners, but I am aware there are those who do not believe in it and see it as a fad. This may be because it is not always applied in classrooms in ways that are true to Carol Dweck’s research. It is well worth reading this blog, that looks at some of the potential pitfalls to avoid, if you really want to work on nurturing a growth mindset in all your learners.)

Intrinsic motivation

I had decided that this was something I wanted to learn. Not for any extrinsic rewards: nobody was going to give me a medal, certificate or sticker. The accomplishment of being able to do it would be reward enough. If I hadn’t been intrinsically motivated - if I hadn’t seen the value of the achievement as being sufficient in itself - I don’t think any amount of external motivation (or ‘bribery’) would have done the trick.  This is also an important lesson for our classrooms. If we want to develop independent learners, we have to create a learning culture that is centred on the value of the learning for its own sake, not a culture that says that the benefit of learning ‘x’ is that you will be given ‘y’. (There are of course situations when we do learn things for an external reason. For example, we might need to achieve particular exam grades in order to be able to get to the next stage of our education. I don’t mean to deny the existence of those situations – however I don’t believe they lead to the best learning. A performance/outcome-focused culture is the enemy of a love of learning. For more on this topic, I highly recommend reading the work of Chris Watkins.)

A well-structured and sequenced curriculum

The C25k programme has been very well developed by experts. The learning builds at a pace that has been proven to be effective for many thousands of novices, without ever over-stretching and risking injury. In other words, it is a very good scheme of work, built on sound principles of that curriculum domain.

Learning at my own pace

Having said the above, I did make one slight deviation from the programme, when I felt I needed to repeat a week. I felt I needed some consolidation before I was confident to move on. In our classrooms, do we give learners enough of a voice to say, “I need to practise this a bit more before we move on to harder stuff”? Even if learners don’t tell us this, as teachers are we using good formative assessment to spot the learners who need more practice or more support?

Small achievable steps

What makes the C25k programme so effective is that each week you have achieved a little bit more than the previous week. Each target is not so far ahead of the last week’s achievement as to seem too daunting. It takes you just outside of your comfort zone, into the learning zone, but not as far as the panic zone. And then your comfort zone expands and you’re ready for the next incremental step. This also helps to reinforce the growth mindset over time: every time you achieve a new goal that you had previously considered impossible, you increase your belief in what is possible.

A low-stakes environment – the freedom to fail!

There were no high stakes consequences to what I was doing. If one day I didn’t do so well, it didn’t matter. There were no scores, merits, stickers or house points at stake. No-one was going to laugh at me or be annoyed at me. If I had struggled that day, I might be a little disappointed in myself, but that was all and that didn’t feel too bad, as there was always next time.

Encouragement of my peers

Some of my friends knew I was doing the C25k and would ask how it was going and give me encouragement. This can be crucial, to help you get through the days when you don’t feel so good. This links back to the classroom culture – a culture of collaboration, mutual learning and peer support. I know some people believe that competition can be harnessed to positive effect within the classroom. Personally I believe that competition, and a performance culture, is the opposite of a supportive learning culture. Competition is fine for what it is – an opportunity for those who already think they are pretty good at something, and who want to put their skills to the test against others, to do so. But you have to want to be in that competitive arena, and be prepared to accept the result, win or lose, otherwise it can be highly demotivating. I’ll say a bit more about competition a little further down.

Expert advice on specific elements of technique

Whilst the C25k programme is of course entirely generic to all users, there have been a couple of occasions (after I had finished C25k and was running longer distances, I should add) when I had reason to visit a physiotherapist. Some parts of the body were struggling to cope a bit with the new demands I was placing upon them. Expert advice, including particular strengthening exercises and core work, were what I needed to get my learning back on track. These were short, focused intervention strategies, if you will, and they were just what I needed at those times.

The right equipment

Although for the majority of the C25k programme I was running in a fairly old pair of trainers, once I had decided that running was now part of my life, I had a proper gait analysis done and invested in a decent pair of running shoes that were right for me. I would highly recommend this to anyone thinking of getting into running. The right equipment really makes a difference. And this too applies to the classroom. Different learners may require different resources.

Beyond 5k

Having successfully completed the C25k programme, I did not want to lose the fitness I had gained. At least once a week I would run my 5k route again. And I realised something – I had begun to enjoy it. It wasn’t just exercise, I loved running outside in the fresh air. It was a fantastic escape from the stresses of daily life. And once I began to enjoy it, I began to run further, bit by bit.  The negative internal voice would still pop up from time to time and tell me “OK so you can run 5k, but you’d never be able to run 10k”.  So I worked my way, in small achievable steps, up to 10k. “Ok, so you can run 10k, but there’s no way you could run 10 miles.” (My internal voice would switch between metric and imperial measurements, to fit the narrative.)  Each time the gauntlet was thrown down, I would work towards that new goal. I had strategies: small achievable goals, and a growth mindset.  

Sometimes the goals were not about distance but about pace. I started entering organised events. I could use the word ‘races’, but I prefer ‘events’ because, for me, they weren’t about winning. There is a fantastic buzz to a mass participation event, regardless of where you are placed at the finish line. And, whilst I am still not really competitive in terms of how my performance compares to others’, I have found that I am quite competitive when it comes to my own personal statistics. I always want to run a better time than my previous Personal Best. This is where I believe competition can be effectively harnessed within the classroom – not when it is about trying to be the best in your class, but when it is about beating your previous best effort.

In 2021, I ran a full marathon for the first time (running solo for the most part). As I trained for the distance, occasionally the negative internal voice would try to tell me that this was a ridiculous notion and that I was going to fail. But I was no longer scared of failing and anyway, I had developed a determination that, however tough it got, I would cover that distance. I had faced tough challenges before and I had got through them, so why should this be any different? Completing the distance was indeed extremely tough, but I did it. A testament to the power of self-belief – and training. 

In April 2024 I ran the London Marathon for the first time, raising money for Brain Tumour Research. It was an absolutely incredible day and an experience I would heartily recommend. I am incredibly to grateful to all those who kindly sponsored me to run and, in doing so, helped me to support this worthwhile and underfunded cause. 

If anyone out there reading this is now feeling inspired to take up running, I heartily encourage you to go for it! Download that Couch to 5k app and get your running shoes on. You won’t regret it.