KS3 Maths Progress

& GCSE (9–1)

Mathematics
Full research
report
February 2019

Illustration by Lucy Vigrass

Acknowledgements
This summary report is based on the full interim technical report, which was released
internally in September 2018 and written by:

Dr Jennie Golding (UCL Institute of Education)

Dr Grace Grima (Director, Pearson UK Efficacy and Research)

Dr Alistair Hooper (Senior Researcher, Pearson UK Efficacy and Research)

Kristy Evers (Researcher, Pearson UK Efficacy and Research)

Abbreviations used in the report include:

KS3 = Key Stage 3

KS4 = Key Stage 4

ALDS = ActiveLearn Digital Service

AT = ActiveTeach

CPD = Continuous Professional Development

EAL = English as an Additional Language

FSM = Free School Meals

HoM = Head of Mathematics

MP = Maths Progress

NQT = Newly Qualified Teacher

PSR = Problem-solving and Reasoning

SEN = Special Education Needs

2 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019
 Contents

1 Research Project Summary 4

2 Product Summary 5

3 Learner Outcomes 6

4 Research Questions 7

5 Methodology 8

6 Key Stage 3 Findings 9

7 Key Stage 4 Findings 11

8 Discussion and Conclusions 13

9 Case Study 14

10 Next Steps 16

11 Appendix: Study School Characteristics 17

KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 3
1 Research Project Summary

A study conducted by Pearson UK Efficacy two substantive years, building on a

and Research team in conjunction with previous exploratory study. This is the final
UCL Institute of Education. summary report and draws on data from
16 schools with varying characteristics (33
We asked what impact KS3 Mathematics
classes with their teachers and Heads of
Progress and GCSE (9-1) resources are
Mathematics), in addition to one school
having on young people: how are they
using the resources for the first time, used
being used, and how effective are they for
as a case study.
supporting young people’s learning of the
2014 National curriculum in England? The
study was designed to be longitudinal over

Who was involved? How did we get the data?

166 Teacher and HoM

 phone interviews

16  58 Face-to-face
teacher
interviews
schools
 63 Student focus
groups

33  1383
classes  62 Lesson
observations
Student
surveys

777 Baseline and

 end-of-project
assessment

What were the highlights of the findings?

 
Teachers felt that the

Most KS3 and KS4 resources thoroughly Teachers felt that the
students felt confident, covered the NC and resources prepared
challenged and engaged helped students progress students well for PSR
when studying maths well to the next KS and fluency

4 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019
2 Product Summary

Key Stage 3 Maths Progress and GCSE (9-1)

Mathematics offer a coherent set of The two sets of materials together
mathematics materials for use in Key cover the 11-16 mathematics
Stages 3 and 4 respectively (usually ages curriculum in the UK, which is
11-16, years 7 to 11) in England. The assessed by GCSE Mathematics,
resources consist of both print and digital taken by nearly all 16-year-olds. The
resources. The print resources include 2014 National Curriculum describes
Student Books (Pi, Theta and Delta for KS3; the aims of learning mathematics to
Foundation and Higher for KS4) and an be that all students should:
array of workbooks. Through the
ActiveLearn Digital Service (ALDS) teachers 1. b
 ecome fluent in the
can find tools to help teach, plan, develop, fundamentals of mathematics
track and assess. 2. r eason mathematically by
These include lesson plans, worksheets, following a line of enquiry,
assessments and progression tracking. conjecturing relationships and
ALDS can be used for setting homework generalisations, and developing
online or as and an independent study tool an argument, justification or proof
for students. Questions are linked to each using mathematical language
unit in the textbook, providing additional 3. s olve problems by applying their
support and practice. mathematics to a variety of
routine and non-routine problems
with increasing sophistication
Teaching Planning
Resources

Student
Resources
Progress
& Assess

Resources for a 5-year curriculum

Resources that work seamlessly throughout 11 to 16 to prepare students for Pearson
Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Mathematics. Both Ks3 and GCSE courses follow the same ‘Master
maths with confidence’ approach, and Pearson Progression Services help you to track
and support progress throughout.

Go to: www.pearsonschools.co.uk/maths5yearsCurriculum

KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 5
3 Learner Outcomes

Outcomes Category Valued learner outcomes

Students have access to digital and

printed resources

Students have a positive learning

Learner Access and Experience experience

Students are confident in studying

mathematics

Students successfully complete the

Timeliness of completion intended course year by year

Students are fluent in fundamental

mathematics knowledge and skills as
specified in the 2014 National Curriculum
for England

Students develop competence in

Standard of achievement
mathematical problem solving and
reasoning

Teachers are more confident to teach

mathematics at KS3-4 through the use of
KS3 MP and GCSE Mathematics (9-1)

Students are mathematically prepared for

Learner progression the next Key StageAdd

6 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019
4 Research Questions

1. How is KS3 MP/GCSE Mathematics (9-1) 5. How well is the resource perceived to
being implemented in schools? (How do help students understand and master
students experience use of print and the fundamental mathematical
digital learning resources?) processes (problem solving, reasoning

2. Are there any barriers for students in and fluency) laid out in the National
Curriculum? (How, and with what effect,
accessing the digital resources? (Can
does KS3 MPGCSE Mathematics (9-1)
the KS3 MP/GCSE Mathematics (9-1)
support teaching and learning needs?)
digital resources be accessed on
tablets, smart phones and computers 6. How well is KS3MP/GCSE Mathematics
at any time?) (9-1)perceived to prepare students for

3. In what ways does KS3 MP/GCSE progression to the next stage of study?

Mathematics (9-1) encourage students’

confidence and a positive attitude
towards learning mathematics?

4. Do teachers value the overall content,

specific features of the platform
(planning, assessing, reporting) and the
CPD element?

KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 7
5 Methodology

KS3 KS4 +One case

Schools: 12 Schools: 15 study school
Teachers and HoM: 15 Teachers and HoM: 24 Teachers and HoM: 4

Students: 319 Students: 458 Students: 46

KS3 KS4

GL Baseline, KS3 Teacher GL Baseline assessment, KS4

Phase 1 Autumn ‘16 telephone interviews Teacher and HoM telephone
interviews

Structured lesson Class teacher face-to-face

observations, Staff interviews, interviews, Student focus
Phase 2 Spring ‘17
Student focus groups groups, Structured lesson
observations
Student surveys, KS3 teacher KS4 Teacher and HoM
Phase 3 Summer ‘17 surveys telephone interviews, Students
surveys

KS3 Teacher telephone KS4 Teacher and HoM

Phase 4 Autumn ‘17 interviews telephone interviews

Structured lesson Structured lesson

observations, Staff interviews, observations, Class teacher
Phase 5 Spring ‘18 Students focus groups face-to-face interviews,
Student surveys, Student focus
groups
Final assessment, Students KS4 Teacher and HoM
surveys, KS3 teacher surveys telephone interviews, Student
Phase 6 Summer ‘18
GCSE outcomes, Year 11
teacher surveys
HoM reflective post-GCSE
Phase 7 Autumn ‘18 survey Autumn 2018 re whole
cohort

8 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019
6 Key Stage 3 Findings

Learner Access and Experience

•
The printed textbooks were extremely
popular with the teachers interviewed
• Students felt supported to succeed on
challenging tasks
and used more than the digital
resources; that was also true of • Resources differentiated well although
there remained some concerns over
students access for less able students
•
Within textbooks, ‘strengthen and
extend’ questions were seen as • Some teachers were reluctant to fully
use ActiveLearn in class because of
encouraging confidence to grow in the limited computer literacy or poor
students access; however, digital teacher support
•
The review sections and hints also
helped to foster improved confidence
was highly valued and improved
teacher workload

• A variety of other resources were also

used to support teaching and learning

Achievement and Competence

•
General agreement that the level of
curriculum demand had increased. The
• Teachers also had mixed levels of
confidence when teaching for fluency,
resources reflect that but learners were problem solving and reasoning
not necessarily getting to grips with the
mastery elements of the curriculum. • Two thirds of the teacher responses
were positive both that their students
•
Geometry is proving to be one of the
most challenging areas to cover
had made good progress in their
problem solving over the course of the

•
Teachers throughout the study had
mixed conceptions of fluency, problem
year and that the KS3 MP resources
supported problem solving
solving and reasoning but felt that the
resources provided good coverage for
• There was minimal parental
involvement in terms of engagement
newer curriculum content with resources

 The textbooks encourage learners “to think not just

how to do it, but why am I doing this?”
School 2, KS3

KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 9
6 Key Stage 3 Findings

Learner Progression

• Schools are thinking in terms of a five-

year learning continuum to age 16 and
including more problem solving and
reasoning in their KS3 teaching

• Data suggests a small above-average

progression for the study students, but
with some large variation by school

• There was evidence of correlation

between teaching approaches observed
to be well-aligned with curriculum
intentions and significantly above-
expected progression, particularly
where the teacher was building on good
understanding of all the students, the
mathematics and the resources.

What did students think were the most useful resource elements?

 Unit structure
(check-up, strengthen
and extend sections),
 Worked
examples  ALDS homework
and videos

hints and key

points

10 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 10
7 Key Stage 4 Findings

Learner Access and Experience

•
In the vast majority of schools, the
principal resource used was GCSE (9-1)
• The main types of resources used from
the Emporium were specimen exam
Mathematics although as year 11 papers and problem-solving question sets
progressed, more use was made of
Emporium resources • The increased level of demand appears to
have impacted student confidence in both
•
The ‘typical’ lesson was usually described
as including the textbook at some point
positive and negative ways, with real
challenges for weaker students at each tier

•
Teachers seemed more engaged with
teacher aspects of ActiveLearn than with
• The consensus was that the resources
catered well for the middle to top range of
the students-focused components mathematics abilities in each tier but there

•
‘Check-up’, strengthen and ‘extend’
sections, hints and key points were
were gaps at the very extremes, especially
the lower end. However, teachers were
regularly referred to as important not always aware of related resources
elements for engagement, motivation designed especially for those students
and learning • The problem-solving and reasoning
elements of the textbooks were perceived
to be extremely challenging, though
necessary for weaker students, and highly
valued, for the mathematical development
of stronger students

Achievement and Competence

•
Teachers sometimes signpost to parents
the exercises, activities, chapters etc. that
• The majority of teachers felt the
resources helped develop reasoning
are supporting for homework. This might
happen at parents’ evenings, via email or • The majority of teachers felt their
students had made good progress with
on a ‘share my homework’ platform their problem solving and indicated that
•
End of unit assessments were adapted
and used to suit the progression structure
they thought the resources had been
effective at supporting this
and planning adopted for the class
• Teachers largely use the resources
•
The majority of teachers felt their
students had made good progress with
selectively, choosing particular topics or
sections within topics to suit their class’s
their fluency and indicated that they perceived needs: only students aiming at
thought the GCSE Mathematics (9-1) top grades within a tier typically engage
resources had been effective at with the range of the textbook provision
supporting that progress in fluency

KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 11
7 Key Stage 4 Findings

Progression

• There was an agreement amongst the

interviewees that the resources support
their students' progression in all aspects
of their mathematics

• The KS4 teachers and students valued

the resources' excellent coverage of the
curriculum content

• HoMs are reasonably positive about the

support offered by the resources
towards that

• KS4 students in this study made above-

average progression

What did students think were the most useful resource elements?

 Hints and key

points and unit
structure
 Front-of-class
projection of
Student Book
 Answers and
ALDS homework
and videos

 “I can see the lower-end achievers are progressing as much

as the high-end achievers. So within their capability, they
are all progressing through”
School 7, KS4

12 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019
8 Discussion and Conclusions

Overall, there was a positive reaction to

the resources. Teachers and students
benefited from resources consistent with
early GCSE sample and specimen papers.

ActiveLearn: Students:

• Whole-class use of ActiveLearn was valued • The attitudes of the students in this study

• ‘Teacher-educative’ ActiveLearn videos

support teachers’ subject knowledge and
to their mathematics experiences were
unusually positive for 11-16 years olds in
their pedagogical skill set this country

• Students largely attributed their degree

of confidence to their teachers, but
Teachers: teachers themselves said the thorough

• Improved knowledge of fluency, of

reasoning and of problem-solving,
coverage in the resources and their
obvious alignment with the aspirations
of the new curriculum, gave teachers
supported by the resources

•
themselves confidence

•
Teachers reported enhanced
Students seem to have made at least as
mathematical confidence and
good progression as comparable students
self‑efficacy, and grade outcomes
historically
were also very positive

• Planning resources saved teachers • Curriculum coherence is key: Teachers’

conceptualisations of the aspirations for
considerable planning time

•
fluency as well as PSR, were heavily
Print resources remain popular framed first by emerging GCSE papers
and second, by the resources. It is
therefore critical that GCSE papers retain
coherence with both curriculum
intentions and with resources created to
support those.

 “They (students) definitely know more now, they’re more ready

to take on more. The resources are so good that way, and I
suppose the teaching must be very good as well!”
School 12, KS4

KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 13
9 Case Study

Context
This section of the study differed from the textbooks, including some designed for the
rest in that it was essentially an in-depth new GCSE curriculum, but students did
case study of a department embarking on not. Finally, there were no detailed
use of the two sets of materials. The Schemes of Work.
School was struggling with Maths
This case study adopted a longitudinal lens
attainment - 59% 5 A*-C*-C including
over the four terms from introduction to
English and Mathematics at GCSE, but only
the KS3 MP and GCSE (9-1) Mathematics
60% gaining C+ in Mathematics GCSE. They
materials in a Summer term. Then it looked
were suffering high staff turnover in
at the related forward planning, through
mathematics, and most of the department
first use and into fairly established first
budget was taken up with photocopying.
year use.
Teachers had access to a small variety of

Case Study – Methodology

3 lesson
observations,
4 teacher 3 class Head of
3 teacher 3 class
interviews: teachers and Mathematics
46 students: interviews: teacher
a each of 3 interview:
Capture intial Baseline Capture of surveys; 43
focus groups reflection
responses to assessments early impact student
of students and future
materials of resources surveys
from the plans
lessons
observed

June 2017 December 2017 April 2018 September 2018

Access and Experience

•
The resources were perceived to fully experienced or effective teachers
support the intentions of the
curriculum, helping to tackle fluency, • Teachers used a variety of other
resources in conjunction with GCSE
problem solving and reasoning (9-1) materials, and pointed explicitly to
•
There were aspirations to fully engage
parents with supporting ActiveLearn
enrich tasks as complementary
enrichment for students
homeworks and use of the resources
• Teachers and students were explicit
•
Resources were seen as particularly
supporting the needs of less
that students in both Key Stages
enjoyed using the resources

14 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019
9 Case Study

Achievement and Competence

• The impact on learner confidence was
seen to be very positive
• Students were appreciative of the
range of questions in KS3 MP, and the

• Differentiation was deemed to be

strong but there were gaps at the
scope those gave for building up
confidence over time
lowest end of the ability range • Teachers noted the potential of peer
working in order to challenge the range
of students in the class

Progression
• Planning was heavily aligned with the
Pearson planning resources
that the classes of teachers making
significant use of the KS3 MP and GCSE

• By the early Summer term 2018, it was

apparent from school 17’s formal
(9-1) resources were making
substantially better progress than
half-termly progression monitoring similar students in previous years

Case Study Summary

A whole-departmental approach, with the provision of relatively small-scale support was
shown in the school to lead to rapid effective use of the materials in classrooms.

KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 15
10 Next Steps

Following on from this study, we will be looking at developing both ActiveLearn and the
textbooks in various ways.

The textbooks (and digital

versions) developments:
• Review and development of entire KS3
Maths Progress series

ActiveLearn developments: • Core series includes more accessible

•
starting point, more fluency questions,
Printable homework worksheets review of worked examples

• More videos and games

• New KS3 and GCSE Purposeful Practice

• Redesign of zoom areas Books inlcude ‘Exam Practice’ section, with

• Service and functionality improvements

•
ResultsPlus examiner feedback

• Transferring to a new questions builder to

improve usability and reliability
Updates to GCSE end of unit, end of term
and end of year tests, including mark
scheme
• Speed improvements - updating
technology used to run online services

16 KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019
11 Appendix: Study School Characteristics

School 1 School 2
• Use textbooks and full ALDS at both KS
• Use textbooks at KS3 and ALDS and practice
• Between 800-900 students
Very high proportion of EAL and FSM students
•
books at KS4
• Between 800-900 students
‘Good’ Ofsted rating
•
School 3 School 4
• Use all textbooks, ALDS, revision books and
Access books at KS4
• Use Delta textbooks, ALDS and ActiveBooks at
KS3 and textbooks and online planning and
• Over 1000 students
High proportion of EAL and FSM students assessment materials at KS4
• • Between 800-900 students

School 5 School 6
• Use textbooks and ALDS at KS3 and
textbooks, AT and workbooks at KS4
• Use textbooks and teaching materials of ALDS
at KS3
• Between 700-800 students
High proportion of FSM and SEN students
• High proportion of EAL and FSM students
• • Between 800-900 students

School 7 School 8
• Use textbooks at KS3 and textbooks, ALDS
and workbooks at KS4
• Use textbooks, ALDS, Active Books,
workbooks at KS4
• Fewer than 200 students
• Over 1000 students

School 9 School 10
• Use textbooks and ALDS at KS3 and
• Use textbooks, ALDS and workbooks at KS4
textbooks, AT and workbooks at KS4
• Over 1,300 students
• Over 1000 students
High proportion FSM students
•
School 11 School 12
• Use textbooks (for staff only) and ALDS at KS4
• Use textbooks and ALDS at KS3 and
• Above average number of FSM and SEN textbooks, AT and workbooks at KS4
students
• High proportion of EAL and FSM students
• Between 700-800 students
• Over 1000 students

School 13 School 14
• Use textbooks and ALDS at KS3 and
• Use textbooks, AT and Access books at KS4
textbooks, ALDS, revision guides and Access
books at KS4
• Over 1300 students

• Between 600-700 students

School 15 School 16
• Use textbooks and ALDS at KS3 and
• Use textbooks at both KS
textbooks, ALDS, workbooks at KS4
• Between 700-800 students
Above average number of FSM
• Over 1500 students
•
KS3 Maths Progress & GCSE (9-1) Maths: Effectiveness and Implementation, Full report, February 2019 17
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