Lorraine Cunningham, Professional Tutor, who is coordinating the PTI work at Hinchingbrooke School, said that she is delighted to have a fourth department join this group of inspiring teachers and commended Mr Woodfine and all the Maths staff for the work they have done to earn the PTI mark for the Maths department.

The Prince’s Teaching Institute (PTI) launched the Schools Programme in 2007 to recognise and reward school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities which enhance the teaching of Art, English, History, Geography, Science, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages and Music, regardless of their pupils’ backgrounds or abilities. It is run as a membership group for school departments that choose to commit to increasing the challenge of their subject provision.

Our Maths department received the Mark in recognition of their work experimenting with tools that enable students to become more aware of their strengths and the areas they need to develop.  Strategies have included the use of a GCSE diagnostic tool app, Maths Little Genius app and the numeracy passport. The GCSE diagnostic tool and the numeracy passport are tests which highlight where individual skills are hindering further progress. This provides both students and staff the opportunity to target these key areas to aid progression. The Maths Little Genius app enables students to practice their maths in a variety of contexts, from rote learning to online gaming; against people from around the world. All have been developed in house specifically to enhance the learning experience of our students.

The department also hosted several events for able, gifted and talented (AGT) students. One day involved The Engineering Development Trust being invited in to talk to our gifted year 8 and 9 students. Students focussed on bridge building design to create a working model and evaluate their expenditure.

The development of numeracy skills is essential, which is why we have also created activities to enhance numeracy during tutor time. This was embedded into years 7 - 9 but has since been expanded to years 10 and 11.

Miss Horlock, Head of Maths said, “The Maths Department are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this prestigious award.  It reflects the hard work and effort put in by all members of the maths team and the significant impact this has had on our students.  Our aim has always been to ensure that all our students achieve their best and ensure they all leave our school having gained many mathematical skills they can take onwards into their life.”

The PTI’s Schools Programme is open to all state secondary schools in England. To become members, school departments must demonstrate their commitment to increasing teachers’ subject knowledge, and to furthering their students’ understanding of and enthusiasm for the subject, regardless of their background or ability. To achieve the PTI Mark, departments then have to demonstrate that they have increased the challenge within their subject curriculum; developed their staff’s own specialist subject knowledge; developed subject-based links outside school; and enthused their pupils through subject-based activities beyond the curriculum. After three years of Schools Programme membership, departments may choose to become Associate Departments by devising an advanced multi-year programme in one of these areas. As Associate Departments they will share their growing expertise with others in the Schools Programme to the benefit of all.

For the complete list of the schools that have been awarded the PTI Mark this year, see www.princes-ti.org.uk.

Note:-

In order to become members of the Schools Programme, schools must consider particular criteria fro excellence within subject specialist provision:

• Clear commitment to the subject specialism
• Evidence of a high level of pupil engagement and attainment in the subject
• Pupils’ access to a range of extra-curricular activities related to the subject, both within school and off-site
• Subject-based links and partnerships with other schools and areas of the community
• Breadth and depth of study, ensured through coherent planning and monitoring
• Coherence and challenge, identified and developed in curriculum planning and delivery
• Departmental commitment to subject-based Continuing Professional Development
• Effective and inspiring teaching.