One of the most controversial topics to be added to GCSE in recent years is exact trig values. Although trigonometry has always been on Higher Tier GCSE, before 2017 it only ever appeared on the calculator paper. When the Department for Education did a big curriculum and assessment re-jig, exact trig values were moved from A level to GCSE - and, in what we can only assume was some kind of ..read more

Everyone loves surds, right? They're so much fun...Since 2017 I've produced a series of CPD sessions, each one covering an individual maths topic. I call this my 'Topics in Depth' project. These CPD sessions focus on curriculum, assessment, subject knowledge, pedagogy and resources.Thanks to generous sponsorship from AQA, Craig Barton and I recently recorded a new set of Topics in Depth ..read more

Welcome to my 167th gems post. This is where I share some of the latest news, ideas and resources for maths teachers.1. PolypadI've blogged about Polypad before, and used it myself in a lesson on nets last week. My students were suitably impressed! Recently there's been a series of tweets about some really cool stuff that Polypad can do - these are definitely worth a look. Click on the tweets ..read more

This is a contribution to the series of writings called 'Dose of Don', begun by Anne Watson, which delve into the collection of tasks on Don Steward’s blog. This piece is written by Sam Blatherwick (@blatherwick_sam). Many thanks to Sam for giving me permission to share his writing here. For the background on this series, please see the post Lines and Angles on Square Grids. Don was very generous ..read more

Since 2017 I've produced a series of CPD sessions, each one covering an individual maths topic. I call this my 'Topics in Depth' project. These CPD sessions focus on curriculum, assessment, subject knowledge, pedagogy and resources. Maths teachers simply don't get enough time to research topics thoroughly when they plan lessons. In this project I aim to support teachers by doing the research for ..read more

I rarely show videos in maths lessons but every now and then I deviate from my usual lesson routine. Sometimes it's to help something stick in my students' memories, and sometimes it's part of the lesson's narrative. I thought it might be helpful to compile a 'top ten' short video clips for maths lessons. If you've been teaching for a while then you've probably seen them all before. But if you're ..read more

Welcome to my 166th gems post. This is where I share some of the latest news, ideas and resources for maths teachers.1. Mixed Interwoven Revision Tasks@nathanday314 shared a set of interwoven revision tasks aimed at Year 11. These excellent tasks are editable and suitable for projecting on the screen. 2. Completion Tables@studymaths did a conference presentation on completion tables or 'fill in ..read more

Exciting news! Craig Barton has a new book out: Tips for Teachers. If you're a maths teacher who reads my blog then I'll be surprised if you haven't read at least one of Craig's other books, so I don't need to tell you how utterly engaging his style of writing is. You already know that this book will be a thoroughly enjoyable read, packed full of sensible and practical teaching ideas. It's ..read more

Welcome to my 165th gems post. This is where I share some of the latest news, ideas and resources for maths teachers.1. GCSE RevisionOn The House Maths (@OTHMaths) shared a new set of GCSE revision resources. Their 'Aim for' revision grids are designed for both Higher and Foundation tiers.I have added these to my GCSE Revision Resources page.2. GCSE Further MathsThank you to @1stclassmaths who ..read more

Welcome to my 164th gems post. This is where I share some of the latest news, ideas and resources for maths teachers. 1. Worked Examples@JakeGMaths shared a large bank of worked examples. It's free to use and contains over 400 examples. Each one is several slides long, guiding students through a method in a series of steps. Then there's a printable part for the students to complete, then the ..read more