Mrs Gerrard goes to Shanghai

Mrs Claire Gerrard  has been selected to take part in a prestigious teacher exchange programme, focusing on mathematics, with a partner school in Shanghai.

Mrs Gerrard is among 70 expert mathematics teachers from schools across England taking part in the exchange as part of the Maths Hub programme, funded by the Department of Education. Thorndown Primary School is working with the Cambridgeshire Maths Hub.

The purpose of the exchange is to further develop the understanding and implementation of mastery approaches to teaching maths in Thorndown Primary School, and in local partner schools. This is one part of the Teaching Mastery Programme, run by the National Centre for excellence in the Teaching of Mastery (NCETM)  programme over the next four school years.

Mrs Gerrard, who completed the Mastery Specialists programme within her Maths Hub last year, is visiting Shanghai in the first half of November this year, and Thorndown Primary School will be hosting  the partner teachers from Shanghai in January 2017. Cambridgeshire schools will be invited to observe the maths lessons of the Shanghai teachers as well as having the opportunity to question them about maths mastery.

There are 35 Maths Hubs, spread across England, each led by a school with a record of high achievement in maths and of supporting improvements in maths teaching ad learning in neighbouring schools.

“Taking part in this Maths Mastery programme is an absolute honour and a ringing endorsement of the quality of and commitment to teaching at Thorndown Primary School. We are always happy to learn new teaching methods if it means that our pupils have the very best start to their education.” Miss Vicci Godbold, Headteacher