RM SuccessMaker

SuccessMaker Making SuccessMaker work for you A Guide for Mathematics Departments

速

SuccessMaker

for

mathematics

This document aims to assist mathematics departments considering the introduction of SuccessMaker, or those already using SuccessMaker who wish to review and extend their use, to do so in the most effective way. SuccessMaker is a highly motivational learning system consisting of a wide range of courses, which focus on different areas of the curriculum. Increasing numbers of schools are now using SuccessMaker to improve mathematical competence, generate fluency in numberwork and to explore maths investigations. You may indeed already have seen the benefits that an Integrated Learning System (ILS) can bring to individual students, both in terms of educational attainment and motivation.

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SuccessMaker

for

mathematics

This document aims to assist mathematics departments considering the introduction of SuccessMaker, or those already using SuccessMaker who wish to review and extend their use, to do so in the most effective way. SuccessMaker is a highly motivational learning system consisting of a wide range of courses, which focus on different areas of the curriculum. Increasing numbers of schools are now using SuccessMaker to improve mathematical competence, generate fluency in numberwork and to explore maths investigations. You may indeed already have seen the benefits that an Integrated Learning System (ILS) can bring to individual students, both in terms of educational attainment and motivation.

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SuccessMaker in schools Models of use for SuccessMaker in secondary schools SuccessMaker has traditionally been used in order to boost numeracy standards for: • Specific year groups. • SEN pupils. • Groups of targeted students. However, whilst highly effective in meeting these objectives, some schools across the UK have used SuccessMaker in a far broader range of ways, in order to utilise its full potential. Other uses include: • Medium and long-term numeracy programmes across all year groups. • Year 6 to Year 7 cross-over programmes. • Supporting more able students. • Developing investigative skills in maths. • Promoting positive attitudes to learning, especially amongst boys. • Informing a school’s planning process. • Community education projects. • Adult education.

Choosing a SuccessMaker solution SuccessMaker will be most effective when it is used to meet a set of clearly defined targets, which will vary from school to school, dependent upon an assessment of students’ needs. Such an assessment will often emerge from the normal process of review that departments regularly undertake. Once a Maths department’s priorities have been established they can then be placed against objectives that SuccessMaker can fulfil in order to identify an appropriate solution which meets the defined targets. RM provides consultancy to help schools and departments make these decisions.

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SuccessMaker in schools Models of use for SuccessMaker in secondary schools SuccessMaker has traditionally been used in order to boost numeracy standards for: • Specific year groups. • SEN pupils. • Groups of targeted students. However, whilst highly effective in meeting these objectives, some schools across the UK have used SuccessMaker in a far broader range of ways, in order to utilise its full potential. Other uses include: • Medium and long-term numeracy programmes across all year groups. • Year 6 to Year 7 cross-over programmes. • Supporting more able students. • Developing investigative skills in maths. • Promoting positive attitudes to learning, especially amongst boys. • Informing a school’s planning process. • Community education projects. • Adult education.

Choosing a SuccessMaker solution SuccessMaker will be most effective when it is used to meet a set of clearly defined targets, which will vary from school to school, dependent upon an assessment of students’ needs. Such an assessment will often emerge from the normal process of review that departments regularly undertake. Once a Maths department’s priorities have been established they can then be placed against objectives that SuccessMaker can fulfil in order to identify an appropriate solution which meets the defined targets. RM provides consultancy to help schools and departments make these decisions.

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Planning ahead Exploring some uses of SuccessMaker in mathematics: Supporting more able students in algebra

Developing investigative skills in maths

Increasing mathematical competence in Year 7

Algebra Topics consists of a series of connected topics, organised into lessons, each of which contains instructional material, practice questions and assessment exercises. Schools have found this course very useful in order to:

Maths Investigations comprises of 24 separate investigations, allowing children to explore mathematics in contexts, which take them beyond the classroom. These investigations can be used to:

The Maths Concepts and Skills course can be used to target incoming Year 7 pupils, in order to increase their mathematical competence. This course allows students to succeed, regardless of their starting level by:

• Deliver introductory work and act as a revision tool for able students in the final year before GCSEs. • Provide a bridge between GCSE and A Level work.

• Teach the structure for GCSE coursework. • Introduce and practise mathematical topics.

• Providing highly differentiated work and diagnostic analysis of a student’s progress so that teaching can be targeted to an individual’s area of need. • Reinforcing basic number work by repeatedly revisiting different skill areas, hence improving retention. • Allowing students to fail in private and then succeed, a key to increasing confidence in mathematics.

The course can be used flexibly within a department. Some schools set one algebra session each week, whilst others use the course intensively over a shorter period.

With this course also comes the Maths Processor, which provides students with a powerful set of tools, enabling them to create their own investigations or extend GCSE investigations beyond the scope that traditional classroom equipment will allow. The investigations can be used flexibly within a department, by mapping them to a scheme of work and utilising them to enhance and support current teaching in specific subject areas.

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This course is most gainfully used on a little and often basis, i.e. between 3 and 5 times a week for 15 minutes each day.

Once a decision to change or extend the use of SuccessMaker has been made and a solution identified, a decision on how to implement SuccessMaker also has to be made. Some things to consider might include, which groups you will initially use SuccessMaker with, who will manage the project and how you will measure its success. Consultation within school and departments is an important part of the implementation process. Therefore, RM consultancy can provide invaluable advice in achieving the solution that best fits your own particular circumstances and priorities. If you would like any further information on SuccessMaker or any of its courses, please contact us on:

0870 908 6700

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