The Maths offer is commissioned by Professional Development Leicester (PDL). As this initiative is funded via de-delegation, all opportunities are offered at a free, or subsidised cost for Leicester City maintained primary schools. Non-maintained and Leicestershire schools are very welcome to participate, but a full charge will apply. Leicestershire schools can use their allocated £500 funding from the LA towards these opportunities.
How to book:
Individual booking links for each training opportunity can be found within the course information below. Please contact beth.dixon@sdsa.net if you have any queries.
Cost: Free for Leicester City maintained schools. £195 for non-maintained city schools and all Leicestershire schools.
Course Lead: Alison Rouse
No. of session(s): 3x half day sessions
Overview
In its Guidance Report, Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3, the EEF suggests that we can help pupils to develop metacognitively, including the ability to independently plan, monitor and evaluate their learning. These sessions will explore how we can best support students to use metacognitive strategies within mathematics.
These sessions will aim to:
- Consider ways in which we can support students to develop metacognitive thinking
- Look at how teaching and modelling strategies can help pupils develop their approaches to tasks
- Use effective approaches to develop learners' reasoning and thinking skills and support self-evaluation
Gap tasks will be provided after each session.
Session dates
Session 1: Friday 30th January 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA
Session 2: Wednesday 11th February 2026, 1pm - 4pm, at SDSA
Session 3: Friday 13th March 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA
Cost: Free for Leicester City maintained schools. £100 for non-maintained city schools and all Leicestershire schools.
Course Lead: Alison Rouse
No. of session(s): 1x full day session
Overview
The use of manipulatives and representations can support students to engage with mathematical ideas and support them to talk about mathematics. The session will explore key aspects of additive reasoning and how to support students to think and work flexibly when calculating.
The session will aim to:
- Consider which representations are effective for specific concepts
- Look at different strategies to support efficient calculation
- Deepen understanding of the mathematical ideas that manipulatives represent
Session date
Monday 2nd February 2026, 9am - 3pm, at SDSA
Cost: Free for Leicester City maintained schools. £65 for non-maintained city schools and all Leicestershire schools.
Course Lead: Vanessa Brown
No. of session(s): 1x half day session
Overview:
This half day session will support you in developing your subject specific 'eye' so that you are ready to evaluate the effectiveness of mathematics in your school. We will be using the new Ofsted Framework to explore what it means to be 'Ofsted ready' in mathematics.
Course Content:
- Discussion of Ofsted's latest reports and news, including School Inspection Toolkit, Coordinating Mathematic Success and Strong Foundations in the First Years of School
- Practical suggestions on how you can audit and gather evidence for mathematics
- Consider features of a successful, high-quality mathematics curriculum and how this relates to your school
- Develop a vision for mathematics in your school
- Identify priorities for your mathematics curriculum
Session date: Monday 23rd February 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA
Cost: Free for Leicester City maintained schools. £195 for non-maintained city schools and all Leicestershire schools.
Course Lead: Vanessa Brown
No. of session(s): 3x half day sessions
Overview:
Want to get creative in your classroom?
Looking to develop expertise in primary mathematics?
This half-day session will support you to develop your expertise in using minimal resources to maximise the mathematical experience for all learners. Rich activities will explore number and geometry with appropriate adaptations identified that allow access for all learners.
You will leave with a wealth of activities to use straight away in the classroom without the need to photocopy nor create a worksheet.
Session dates:
Session 1: Wednesday 4th March 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA
Session 2: Wednesday 22nd April 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA
Session 3: Tuesday 16th June 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA
Cost: Free for Leicester City maintained schools. £100 for non-maintained city schools and all Leicestershire schools.
Course Lead: Vanessa Brown
No. of session(s): 1x full day session
Overview:
The latest Ofsted changes (November 2025) put inclusion at the centre of all inspections. For schools, this is a chance to showcase their inclusive classroom practice which involves actively removing barriers to learning for all learners. In this full day session, we will explore inclusive teaching strategies so that every child feels valued and capable of participating.
Course content:
- Consider learners in your class who struggle with mathematics, discussing some barriers to their learning
- Explore strategies for scaffolding which can provide support for learners, moving them towards increasing independence
- Discuss how we can ensure all learners have access to high quality teaching
- Inclusion and the School Inspection Toolkit
Session date: Wednesday 6th May 2026, 9am - 3pm, at SDSA
Cost: Free for Leicester City maintained schools. £130 for non-maintained city schools and all Leicestershire schools.
Course Lead: Vanessa Brown
No. of session(s): 2x half day sessions
Overview:
Misconceptions in mathematics are a natural consequence of a child's mathematical development and a child's errors can arise for a variety of reasons, these may be due to the pace of work, the slip of a pen, slight lapse of attention, lack of knowledge or a misunderstanding. Some of these errors might be predicted prior to a lesson and tackled at a planning stage to diffuse or unpick possible misconceptions. In order to do this, the teacher needs to have the knowledge of what the misconception might be, why these errors may have occurred and how to unravel the difficulties for the child to continue learning.
These two half day sessions will explore practical approaches that teachers can use to translate this evidence into classroom-based methods for addressing pupil misconceptions head on.
Session dates:
Session 1: Tuesday 19th May 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA
Session 2: Wednesday 17th June 2026, 9am - 12pm, at SDSA