I spend most of my time in primary schools but sometimes, I have the opportunity to visit KS3 classes. When visiting a Year 9 class recently, I observed students completing algebraic equations. They demonstrated good understanding of what they were doing and happily talked to me about their learning. I then noticed that several of the students were able to do the complex algebra but couldn’t add two single digits without using their fingers. Since observing this, I have noticed it more and more; children being able to do the ‘maths’ but needing their fingers to solve simple calculations.

The next question is, does this matter if they understand the maths they are learning?

I would argue that it does. Lack of fluency in base facts slows most maths learning.

The Ofsted Research and Analysis Review into mathematics (May 2021) recognises the need for fluency in base facts and the impact of not knowing them.

“Pupils who are not able to quickly and easily recall maths facts struggle with calculations due to their working memory being overloaded. For example, a child who does not know number bonds will be stuck using various forms of ‘counting on’ when performing simple addition.”

I have recently had the pleasure of developing the ‘Making fluent and flexible calculators’ project with Charlie Harber and Siobhan King. In Charlie’s recent blog, she clearly shows the importance of teaching pupils to build on their knowledge of the base facts to make connections and spot patterns. So far, we have seen great impact on the pupils taking part in the project with pupils making the equivalent of 8 months progress in just 6 weeks.

One teacher involved in the project stated:

“Children are not scared anymore of numbers and doing the mathematical talk in front of their peers.”

Despite this, I also know that there are a few pupils, usually in the bottom 5%-10% or who have special educational needs, who are never very clear about the maths they are learning and very rarely feel success. Many of these pupils have ‘survival’ strategies – cleverly masking what they don’t know – or are overly scaffolded by adults. Teachers are aware of these pupils; they identify them as pupils who never seem to retain anything. Teachers feel there is a pressure to ensure all pupils access the same learning. They want to help but don’t know where to start; it can be overwhelming and the journey back to age related expectations too long and bumpy.

So, what should be done?

Base facts need to be secured with conceptual understanding – explicit teaching of strategies. As it states in the maths review, if pupils don’t know their base facts, they can get stuck on counting strategies.

This short video explains Baroody’s phases to automaticity and explains why teaching the facts with strategies is so important.

Teaching strategies

 The base facts to 10 + 10:

We have identified 9 different strategies within the base facts. This video explains them:

We now know the strategies that are needed to learn the base facts, so the next challenge is:

How do we know which strategies children know and which ones they don’t?

The HFL Education maths team have created a short diagnostic assessment to be used one to one with pupils to find out how pupils calculate answers. With this diagnostic assessment, it is not the accuracy of the answer that is important; it is the efficiency of the strategy.

Below are some examples of pupils solving calculations from the diagnostic assessment.

All the answers are correct, but you can probably tell from the dots and dashes drawn that ‘counting all’ was the only strategy that was used.

Thinking about the different strategies listed in the video, what would be more efficient?

What could the explicit teaching of the strategies look like?

Once the strategies children know or don’t know have been identified, teaching of unknown strategies can happen and base facts can be learned.

This video provides some ideas for how strategies could be taught and rehearsed:

The HFL maths team are in the process of completing developmental research on a short, sharp intervention – Mental maths fluency intervention – that focuses on identifying and teaching base facts. Initial trials completed this year have been positive with the schools involved seeing much improved knowledge and application of base facts.

Download a free sample of the teaching guidance from the Mental Maths Fluency Intervention here:

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References

Research review series: mathematics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Baroody, A. J., Bajwa, N. P., & Eiland, M. (2009). Why can't johnny remember the basic facts? Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 15(1), 69-79. Why can't Johnny remember the basic facts? (wiley.com)  

Now that the second half of the summer term is well underway, thoughts will inevitably turn to preparing Year 6 pupils for life at secondary school, both emotionally and academically. 

Both primary and secondary schools are well-versed in how to support children and prepare them for transition. We think carefully about the changes to come and how we can best enable pupils to feel confident and resilient as they embark on a new and exciting, but potentially daunting, chapter of their education.

Many subjects studied continue with the same name. PE, art, history and maths for example, are all taught at primary and will still have the same subject name at secondary school.

This is not always the case for languages. Primary schools will have selected the language (any modern or ancient foreign language can be taught in Key Stage 2) that their children will learn across the Key Stage and that they will make substantial progress in. This is a school-level choice which will be influenced by a range of factors. Similarly, secondary schools will decide which language pupils begin with when they start in Year 7.  As a result, the language studied by pupils may change at the point of transfer.

As for any curriculum subject, key to successful transition is continuity of learning and development.  The Ofsted Research Review Series: Languages (see section ‘Enabling Languages to Flourish’) highlights the negative impact on motivation and attitudes to language learning in the secondary phase where transition is not effective. This can be because pupils feel as if they are ‘starting again’ in a language in Year 7 because previous learning is unacknowledged, or because they can’t see how what they have learned in one language can contribute to learning another.

Where pupils continue to study the same language in the secondary phase, curriculum continuity is important for effective transition.  This requires communication between feeder and destination schools so that there is clarity about content that has been covered and how this can be built on to avoid demotivation.

However, successful transition does not have to be dependent on studying the same language in both primary and secondary phase.  It can be enabled by being clear about the knowledge and skills that are applicable across languages and highlighting these to both staff and pupils.   Clarifying this means that, even if the language being learned changes, pupils can still build on prior learning.

For example, some of the commonalities between languages often taught at both KS2 and KS3 include:

• The gender of nouns
• The impact that this has on other groups of words, (e.g., determiners)
• Formal and informal ‘you’

These are some examples of the components of knowledge and understanding which are a feature of some of the most commonly taught languages in the primary and secondary phase.

We also know that there are times when a lack of effective transition (for example between year groups) can impact negatively on learner experience within in the primary phase. The Research Review (see ‘Curriculum choices, transition’) reports that ‘poor transition, namely lack of continuity of the curriculum, is likely to be the most significant aspect in pupils not seeing the benefit of learning a language at primary school.’ Pupils themselves need to understand how the knowledge and skills acquired are applicable and transferable to the study of a new language to value their learning.

So, what is it, within our curriculum mapping for languages and our handover between teachers, that could be further strengthened to ensure that children enjoy a smooth progression in languages learning both within and between schools?

At its heart there are core elements which include:

• An identifiable core grammar that is sequenced so that it builds on prior learning   
• A core vocabulary made up of high-frequency/highly transferable language as well as well as words linked to the themes being studied
• Key sound-spelling correspondences for the language being learned

Subject Leaders might find ASCL’s KS2/KS3 MFL transition toolkits a practical, workable tool to support effective transition.  Available for French, German, Spanish and Chinese, they can be used to identify prior learning, avoiding as far as possible any downturn in pupil achievement or motivation as they move into the secondary phase.

Find them here: French, German, Spanish and Chinese.

HFL Education are happy to support both primary and secondary schools with their languages / MFL provision, including developing and reviewing schemes of learning, support with curriculum design, and developing teaching and learning activities that can strengthen and enhance transition. We offer in-school, bespoke consultancy, training courses and support for subject leaders.

For further advice and guidance, including on KS2/KS3 language / MFL curriculum and transition, contact Yvonne.Kennedy@hfleducation.org