Independent Learning at home

One of the main aims of the school is to nurture students to become independent learners, capable of taking charge of their own educational journey and not relying heavily on the expertise of the teachers. 

‘Practice makes perfect!’

In the Mathematics department we are both ambitious and realistic.  We want all of our students to progress beyond what is expected nationally but at the same time we realise that this cannot be done in lessons alone.  What students do at home is of paramount importance and links strongly with how they progress through all key stages.  With this in mind, all Key Stages have access to online video tutorials what can help reinforce the learning that takes place in the classroom.

You can view these resources by clicking on the links below

Key Stages 3 & 4               www.mathswatchvle.com

Key Stage 5                         www.livemaths.co.uk

Students all receive a login and password to these resources so they can practice at home.

Students will often be set homework related to these videos.

For example,

At the end of a lesson when a student reviews their learning they will write about what they have understood and also they will give themselves a SMART target to improve their understanding.

EG:

WWW: (What Went Well) I was able to add and subtract fractions with different denominators

Target: I need to improve on adding and subtracting Mixed Numbers (Clip 56a)

The student’s teacher would list the clip number appropriate for the targets on the board or powerpoint presentation.  The student can then answer the questions featured in the clip to further their own understanding of the lesson at home. This may be set as homework.

Independent learning in lessons

The job of the teacher in the Maths classroom is changing.  Whilst it is crucial that the teacher imparts knowledge on the students in an informative and interesting way, it is also equally important that students progress independently and are not over reliant on the teacher.

Asking the teacher what to do is not the first thing a student should when they don’t know what to do next.  Students will be encouraged break down the problem and solve it without help. They may also be asked to discuss the problem with the person next to them or in a group. In some lessons, the teacher may put a limit on the number of questions an individual is allowed to ask the teacher.  This nurtures independent thinking and if a student needs to ask a question they have to make sure that it is thought through.