Emma Simpson

Maths Teacher and DHT for Quality of Education at a wonderful school

[Daisy Christodoulou @daisychristo]

The PISA 2025 results are out today. Some quick insights.

- The major story is very significant global decline. The last PISA study was in 2022, and saw big declines in reading and maths scores from 2018. Obviously the pandemic played a part.

- But this 2025 round has seen further falls even from the 2022 lows!

Things haven't gone back to normal post-pandemic - they've got worse.

Every generation thinks the generation below is less smart - but this time they might be right!

[Adam Boxer @adamboxer1]

Untangling the factors that have led to England's educational success on the national stage isn't easy.

If I were a betting man, I would say that the gradual improvements are due to:

- Increased behaviour standards and expectations (led by a number of MATs)
- Knowledge-rich curriculum, and the abandonment of trying to teach transferable skills
- Eradication of coursework and "in class assessment" from many qualifications
- Removal of soft/light qualifications like the old "GCSE equivalents"
- Ditching modular assessments
- Moving more teacher training out of the control of universities and directly into schools
- Systematic synthetic phonics
- The growth of explicit instruction and sensible classroom teaching strategies

There's probably more. Off the top of my head, those are the big ones.

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@PrincipalTASE This looks amazing, such a generous offer to share, thank you [email protected]

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@nkl_17 @Just_Maths @TeachLeadAAli Oh thank you! I’ll take a look 😊

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

Does anyone know of/have ideas for any guest speakers for a teaching and learning conference (across trust - around 300 staff) in County Durham in July (21st to be exact!). Ideally to deliver a keynote speech or whole staff session and perhaps some smaller workshops after that?

[Corbettmaths @Corbettmaths]

We've hit 500 MILLION views 🎉 Thank you!
We are running TWO MASSIVE COMPETITIONS & a HUGE SALE!
Comp 1: Corbettmaths will visit 3 schools who place orders
Comp 2: For a chance to win a class set of cards or 20 mugs, just RT & complete our short survey
https://t.co/VdklBfnwGE

[Alex Quigley @AlexJQuigley]

🚨 CHRISTMAS BOOKS GIVEAWAY 🚨

Fancy some edu-reading for Xmas? It is advent time, so I’ve decided to give away full ‘Closing the Gap’ collections (all 3 books) to ***2*** prize winners.

Simply RETWEET this post to enter.

[I’ll be drawing the two winners on 8th December]

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@InquisitiveTea2 Hi Natalie, this look great, so much hard work put into them and so generous of you to offer to share - would you be able to send me the link please? Thank you ☺️

[Andrew Morrish @AndrewDMorrish]

This is fine journalism. Summing it up perfectly. @Ofstednews

[rob kelsall @rob_kelsall]

In all my years. Never have I seen such insensitivity.

@Ofstednews I would welcome a meeting to discuss this.

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@Just_Maths 😢😢😢

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

Anyone have any good T&L centered questions for student voice? Doing some student voice via MS Forms this week and want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious! Not subject specific - more holistic about their experience of lessons/perception of their learning etc...

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@Lel_J_ @missradders ‘Rise up’ by Andra Day and ‘Anything worth holding on to’ by Cynthia Erivo

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@jstantn They knocked a college down near my house then when they built new houses on the land called the new estate ‘Scholars Gate’ 😂

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@dklappin 😫😫

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@Miss_L_Jacobs Mine too! Although one of them put 15 bless him 🤦🏻‍♀️ I said why 15? “You said half miss? that’s half of 30” 🤦🏻‍♀️😂 (I promise I did teach them trig values properly haha!)

[Miss @missdcox]

Do any maths depts actively (planned? strategic? research led?) try to counter any negative attitudes towards maths from year 7?

What do you do? Does it work?

Please RT/share with maths colleagues

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@Teaching_and_MH @Thinkingschool2 I try to say ‘prior attainment was low’ if asked about ability, still not perfect but a subtle enough difference for me in myself that it’s not capping future attainment and progress if that makes sense

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

@HeadteacherLPS @MBDscience “Get what you deserve” really? Setting is not decided by the class teacher and as a Headteacher surely you’re well aware of that 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Emma Simpson @esimpson_100]

Does anyone know of any good CPD courses running on Lesson Observation?