A 33 slide PowerPoint showing an approach to multiplication for teenage students who have not rote learned them. It combines the Operational Principles with the area model of multiplication to empower students to apply a small number of tables to calculations (x1, x2, x3, x5 and x10). It also covers the area model of division and mental strategies for multiplication and division. It is aimed at Maths Dept CPD rather than for school students. It is pedagogical for Maths Teachers although some slides would be useful for teaching. Years of experience of training Maths teachers, research and thinking has gone into this resource. A free pdf of the PowerPoint is available.

A 17 slide PowerPoint that provides main themes surrounding CAT4 assessment tasks. CAT4 assessments consist of verbal reasoning – thinking with words; quantitative reasoning – thinking with numbers; non-verbal reasoning – thinking with shapes and spatial ability – thinking with shape and space. Many schools use CAT4 to provide ‘predictions’ for GCSE results. The ppt provides an introduction to CAT4 assessments. The normal distribution curve is outlined and the realtionship with stanines and standard age scores and how they are derived from raw scores. The important visual-spatial dynamic of CAT4 is dealt with in detail. Finally, caution is raised when using assessments to label students and create self-fulfilling narratives. A free pdf is available and can be downloaded here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-13070115

A 28 slide PowerPoint that provides examples of CAT4 assessment tasks and answers. CAT4 assessments consist of verbal reasoning – thinking with words; quantitative reasoning – thinking with numbers; non-verbal reasoning – thinking with shapes and spatial ability – thinking with shape and space. Many schools use CAT4 to provide ‘predictions’ for GCSE results. Four sets of practice assessment questions are provided plus additional questions. These questions should be practiced by students so they understand the patterns and inner logic of the four reasoning areas away from the pressure of sitting at a computer with the assessment about to begin, and the clock about to count down. A free pdf is available and can be downloaded here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12785220

Masters Dissertation September 2017 The findings of this 78 page research suggest that the age-effect plays a role in enrolment with older students more likely to access grammar schools and that the effect has a bearing on outcomes for GCSE English in both sectors and GCSE Mathematics in non-selective schools.