Curriculum, Learning & Engagement

Curriculum Day - Monday the 21st of July

Staff Professional Learning: Building Stronger Classrooms

Last Monday, our staff participated in an intensive professional learning day, focused on enhancing the way we support our students’ growth. 

The day began with a comprehensive session on multiplicative thinking, grounded in the research of Di Siemon. Developing multiplicative thinking is essential for our students, enabling them to move beyond basic counting and begin to understand the patterns and relationships within numbers. It was extremely valuable to explore practical methods for assessing each student’s current stage of mathematics learning and to consider strategies for building greater confidence and mathematical understanding moving forward.

In the second session, attention turned to effective questioning techniques in the classroom, guided by Rosenshine’s Principles and Tom Sherrington’s Walkthrus series. We examined how thoughtfully designed questions can foster deeper thinking and help create an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas. The discussion highlighted the impact of purposeful questioning in placing students at the centre of their learning journey.

Already, we are observing positive changes in our classrooms. Students are demonstrating increased confidence and engagement during lessons, as well as a greater willingness to ask questions and contribute to discussions. This renewed emphasis on robust mathematical understanding and dynamic questioning is further strengthening our commitment to inclusive and engaging classrooms.

We are excited to see the continued impact of these approaches and look forward to sharing further successes as our professional learning journey progresses.

Mark Condon

Numeracy Learning Specialist / Y3 Classroom Teacher