Assistant Maths Hub Lead for Primary, Hazel Howat, co-ordinates the programme of open lessons throughout the year enabling teachers to observe a lesson and discuss the features of Teaching for Mastery. In the blog, Hazel discusses the importance of this as part of the support we offer to schools.

Why is it important to allocate time for teachers to have a chance to observe and discuss maths lessons?

One of the main findings from the Ofsted Coordinating mathematical success: the mathematics subject report July 2023:

Teachers help pupils to understand new concepts. Networks of support, such as the Maths Hubs, provide regular and highly useful training. This helps teachers to adopt new and improved ways of explaining and modelling concepts. Often, teachers use physical resources and pictorial representations to help pupils see underlying mathematical structures. They also teach and model new vocabulary, regularly check pupils’ understanding and swiftly pick up misconceptions.

As part of many Origin Maths Hub work groups, participants and other school staff get the opportunity to take part in open lessons. We observe a lesson and discuss the progression of the mathematical concept and features of teaching for mastery. Our participant Maths Leads are also encouraged to hold open lessons and lesson observations for staff in their own schools.

What is the impact of staff watching a lesson? We asked Maths Leads and here are some of their replies:

• Our lessons are now well structured and staff confidence with maths has increased dramatically.
• This has led to developments in the use of questioning and vocabulary this term.
• [Teachers are] using more gesturing, improving stem sentence, using more episodic approach, organising resources differently.
• Staff come back feeling positive because they can see their own practice in what they are seeing or they take away things like the slower pace of the lesson or the repetition of the stem sentences etc.
• Seeing the lesson is when the ideas we had been discussing in the work group fell into place and I understood how to make it work in practice.
• They have begun to implement stem sentences in their planning and teaching.
• Staff have shared this has an immediate impact in their classroom with adaptations they have made from watching such lessons.
• Ensures that we are reflective in our practice.
• It allows staff to implement new strategies and ideas which they don’t currently use, after seeing them in practice.

How can schools ensure teachers get this opportunity?

• Sign up class teachers to the year-specific open lessons run by Origin Maths Hub.
• Ensure participants have cover to attend a work group session.
• Hold an open lesson in school (e.g. during assembly time) and discuss in a staff meeting.
• Give teachers opportunities to observe experienced Teaching for Mastery teachers within your school or another school (e.g. another school within your work group) and allocate time for a discussion of the lesson.