The continuing journey

I am Karen.  I love maths, always have, and I am on a mission to improve the image and attainment levels in maths for everyone… including my son Lance who as Down syndrome.  I believe that the Maths For Life programme delivers a differentiated approach to teaching maths that will provide my son with the essential maths he needs for life and hopefully more.

In Autumn 2019, I started a project called “Maths for Life…. not GCSE” with a plan to develop a differentiated curriculum for children with Down syndrome and other additional learning needs to follow, that will allow them to develop the maths skills they need to live an independent life in the future.  I think it is important not to reinvent the wheel, therefore my starting point was to evaluate the Functional Skills qualification that already exists in England. 

My gut feeling was this curriculum covers the maths needed for living and working in the future and could be a path that works for children with additional learning needs. However, the qualification is aimed at the 16+ and adult market and example papers are targeted to the life experiences of this audience.  I also found that, although schools may offer entry into the Functional Skills qualifications as an alternative to GCSE, children mainly follow the GCSE curriculum in class, albeit in a differentiated way. There is certainly no mention of Functional Skills qualifications being taken in the years before GCSE.  My proposal was the backward integration of the Functional Skills content to form the basis for teaching from the point at which a child attains basic number skills.  If we know what a child needs and doesn’t need to learn with a goal in mind, it becomes a lot easier to write a specific differentiated curriculum.

To prove my concept I took the Department for Education subscribed content for the first functional skills qualification, Entry Level 1, and mapped it against current national curriculum content for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Then using the Pearson Edexcel format, I expanded this content to form a ‘scheme of work’ by topic.  It looks at the prior knowledge needed, the checklist of objectives to secure per topic, associated keywords, ideas for teaching and known challenges for children with additional learning needs.  I then wrote a comprehensive set of sample questions that tested all aspects of the objectives to secure.  The content of these sample questions is more age / life appropriate for younger children to engage with.   This document was shared with a focus group who reviewed and assessed if the content made sense from a parent / teacher / teaching assistant / professional perspective and, if they had a child with additional needs, gauged if the content and sample questions were at a level that their child could achieve now / in the future / with guidance and practice.  The majority of the focus group took part in an online discussion to review findings and unanimously agreed that the project was fit for purpose and should move forward.  A list of next steps was agreed that included some clarifications from government, additional information on the current facts about children’s attainment in maths, communication with known experts and to write the scheme of work that precedes Entry Level 1 - the Foundations of Maths For Life.

The ‘Foundations of Maths For Life’ is the scheme of work that takes a child’s development in maths from birth to Functional Skills Entry Level 1 content.  It maps out all the mathematical milestones and all the steps needed to achieve them at the micro level needed for children with additional learning needs.  It keeps the same topic headlines and format as the Entry Level 1 document.  It looks at the prior knowledge needed, the checklist of objectives to secure per topic, associated keywords, ideas for teaching and known challenges for children with additional learning needs.  It starts with Topic 0 - the prenumber skills.  These are the skills that can be started from birth.  The earlier mathematical vocabulary and numbers are heard the more ‘friendly’ they will be and, just like phonics, will form part of an early development and intervention programme. 

At the beginning of August 2020, the first complete draft of Book 1 was reviewed by the focus group and given the go ahead to publish.  There was an overwhelming consensus that this was needed and ideally needed to be available in advance to the new academic year for parents, teachers, teaching assistants and educational professionals who work with children and adults with additional needs.  It was a ‘working model’.  A starting point with a view to editing, expanding content and ideas following circulation.  The first edition of Book 1 was published at the end of August 2020. 

Reviews and feedback on the book have been extremely positive and the ‘Maths For Life programme’ has evolved.  This is the second edition of Book 1 and contains some changes that reflect the feedback to date.  In the first edition, the stage after the Foundations was referred to as “Entry Level 1” to map the Functional Skills terminology.  On reflection, although the concept for this programme was inspired by the Functional Skills qualifications, the current structure and content of the Functional Skills curriculum is not a suitable approach post Entry Level 1.  Entry Level 1 is now simply referred to as “Level 1”.  The Maths For Life programme will continue up in levels - Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 and so on.  These will not map directly to the Functional Skills levels but still provide a pathway to attaining these qualifications.

The Maths For Life programme provides a differentiated approach to the maths curriculum that lays down solid foundations, is framed in practical understanding, and delivers the essential maths needed for life. It is designed for all individuals with additional learning needs for whom the standard maths curriculum structure and timescale is unattainable.  The approach is based on securing understanding and functional application of a skill on an incremental and independent basis before moving to the next stage.  Progress is individual with no associated timescales.  The programme consists of the books and a subscription based membership that provides workbooks, templates and other resources to support the initiative.  I am committed to developing this programme long term - for my son and for everyone else who deserves the ability to secure the maths skills they need for life.

All typos, spelling and grammar mistakes are my own.  If you see one, please let me know - honestly I won’t be offended. The Maths For Life programme is a work in progress. The plan is to have a fully developed scheme of work that will take a child from birth to achieving their full potential. It will encompass text books and supporting resources.

Update at May 2021...

After several months constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing the content outline of Book 2, Level 2 it was finally written and published in May 2021. It continues on seamlessly and brings every topic to the next level in a ‘sensible’, logical and achievable manner. Supporting content on the resource library will be added over the next several months.

The outline structure for Maths For Life Level 3 and Level 4 has also been drafted and these levels will be written soon!

Update at May 2022…

In March this year, we won a Starling Bank 'Take Flight' Grant of £5,000. 

The grant has funded the production of a multichannel Maths For Life brochure. 

A 20-page A4 glossy colour print, full of images, facts and quotes about the programme. We are starting to distribute them via our existing network of validated leads as well as targeting the Specialist Education teams in all 23 county councils in England and further afield.

The brochure will also form the main focus of a stand at the nasen Live event at the Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham on July 15th, 2022.

"I am recommending it in all the schools I work with." -  Suzanne Pass, Director of Educational Excellence

Update at October 2022…

Following a productive summer of writing, Book 3 containing Level 3 of the Maths For Life programme was published in September 2022. This was a fantastic way to start the new academic year. We are delighted that we have now hundreds of students and schools engaged with the Maths For Life programme and it is growing from strength to strength. Feedback continues to be positive and we are continuing to look ahead to the future.

The Maths For Life programme listens to its customers and is constantly evolving. One area that is a focus for this academic year is too look at the use of the Baseline Assessments to create reports, evaluate and monitor on going progress. 

We are keen to set up a small but involved focus group to look at ideas and help define the offering. We are looking for representatives from mainstream and special schools, both primary and secondary level. If you are interested in getting involved please email Karen.