I do try to be impartial about the different exam boards (trust me I try!!) and previously I’ve let you know what support OCR are offering (blog post -> HERE). I’ve also been contacted by Andrew Taylor at AQA just before Christmas (sorry it’s taken me so long to blog about it!) to let me know that they had released a set of practice papers for the new GCSE. It’s the first set of four they’re planning to release, leading up to the new exams in 2017. The papers can be found on THIS PAGE of their All About Maths resource site. (Note that the site is password protected, but all teachers are welcome to join and if you haven’t signed up please do so … I have!) Hopefully I’ll have more of an update from summarising what their whole support package involves in the next couple of weeks too.
And then that leaves Edexcel. I know Graham and Mark send out their weekly email which is fab and they’ve just started holding their “Getting Ready to Teach” events. Apparently these were well received when they ran these events for the current GCSE but this time there is a difference … at some of them will be either Seager or myself. “His nibs” did his first one on Friday in Nottingham and it seemed to be well-received … my first one is Friday in Birmingham! Nervous? Not much!! I’m bricking it!! So if you’re coming please be nice!
The sessions are being run either by Petro Tozzi or myself/Seager and we have both taken different approaches but with a common structure. With both sessions we wanted teachers to leave with some ready to use resources but we chose to develop some worksheets specifically for our three topics and the irony is that we’re doing FREQUENCY TREES!!! I know!! Shoot me now!!
You can find more information about all the events that are scheduled on the BOOKING PAGE if you are interested in getting yourself booked on one, I can recommend the one in Alcester Academy on the 13th Feb where you’ll get a chance to see both Seager and I in situ! Now here’s a genuine offer: if you are coming to Alcester email me before the event and I’ll promise choccie biccies and a cup of tea .. now there’s an offer!
