Just a quickie to let you know about the forthcoming dates for the collaborative network meetings that Pearson Edexcel run. If you haven’t been to one you need to get yourself involved – the emphasis in these meetings is meant to be on teaching and learning, rather than exam focus but inevitably given that this summer is the first sitting of the new Maths GCSE it usually forms the basis of the meetings at the minute in terms of sharing ideas or just getting reassurance that we are all in the same boat. Attending these meetings is one of the main things that myself, Seager and Peitro Tozzi (who is also a practicing teacher at Gumley House) do as part of our secondment to the Maths team at Pearson and the overwhelming response recently is one of “its good to know we’re not alone”.

The meetings are free and you don’t need to be an Edexcel centre to get along to one – there will always be something that you get from the meeting. Ours at Alcester Academy is next Friday (10th Feb) and the main agenda point is getting feedback from the recent secure mocks (no grade boundaries will be given though so don’t be expecting the impossible!) …I’ve found this really interesting in terms of strengths and weaknesses and areas we can focus on in the final stretch to the first exams.

You can book a place at any of the meetings on the Pearson Training webpage (choose GCSE then Maths and scroll down to find the event) where you’ll find brief details of the agenda for each meeting there as well. Alternatively send an email giving your name, centre name, centre number and the meeting you’d like to attend to mathsevents@pearson.com, and they’ll sort you out.

Looking even further forward … don’t forget the JustMaths conference in June BOOK YOUR TICKET SOON!!! It’s filling up nicely and it’ll be fun!! We’ve chosen a date after all bar one exam and the intention is to have some CPD delivered by each of the exam boards (not touting their wares!) post the first exams. It’ll give everyone the opportunity to reflect about their choice of board and more importantly, to celebrate having made it through the first sitting.