PortsMaths Conference 2024

Booking is now open for PortsMaths Conference 2024, the second PEP Teaching and Learning conference! The conference will take place on Thursday 14 March 2024 at Portsmouth Marriott Hotel.

Book early to ensure your space at what will be a fun and engaging conference. We have 10 workshops and two keynote speakers; Dr Andrew Curran and Andrew Jeffrey. You can also expect stallholders, a goody bag and a free raffle with prizes.

Further information about each of the workshops can be found below.

You can also watch a video of last year’s conference, Portsmouth Reads.

Workshop descriptions

  • Adapting for depth – Andrew Jeffrey
    Greater Depth should be more than just a target or a percentage of a cohort; it is an entitlement for all students. But how do we adapt our lessons to make it possible to offer every child the chance to think about maths this way? In this workshop we will look at some of the key ideas and strategies from “Greater Depth in Primary Maths” that are effective and easy to implement but which can have lasting impact on your students.
  • Using technology to improve outcomes in primary maths: quick wins to take away today! – Gemma Gwilliam
    As part of the Digital City Project, we have all been looking at how technology can be used to enhance teaching and learning, support accessibility and inclusion and reduce workload, but what does this look like in the primary maths classroom? How can technology be used to improve outcomes? What are those quick wins you can take away today without spending any money? Join us as we share best practice from across the city and continue to support all members of our community to select the right tool, for the right outcome, for them.
  • Transition and the use of concrete manipulatives – KS2 to KS3 – Jo Gerrard /Carla
    Laney
    This workshop will focus on the use of concrete manipulatives in upper key stage 2 and the start of key stage 3. We will explore their use through calculation methods and calculating with fractions to ensure that students develop a deeper understanding of concepts which can otherwise be taught as abstract procedures.
  • Maths for all – Fran Watson
    Offering the opportunity for all learners to see themselves as problem solvers, is important for building positive relationships with a subject that is often thought of in the same light as Marmite! Come and participate in this practical hands-on workshop, to experience the intrigue, surprise and delight that comes from puzzling with paper. (These cross-phase activities have been rigorously road-tested and found to spark excitement in learners of all ages and their teachers.)
  • Maths – not a universal language! Supporting your pupils with EAL in maths – Karen Thomas and Marie Allen
    During this session, we will identify the barriers that pupils with EAL may face in, and the inherent demands of, maths lessons and will introduce strategies to support EAL pupils in both primary and secondary settings, especially with word problems.
  • Promoting independence in maths for learners with SEND – Shelley Martin
    This workshop provides a range of strategies to promote the independence of pupils with SEND, so that they are less adult-reliant. This is suitable for primary and secondary mainstream colleagues. It is packed full of a range of things to try, without increasing teacher workload.
  • Early years / KS1 – Mandy Hooper
    How to construct a curriculum for EYFS that enables a clear developmental trajectories across the domains of mathematics. This workshop will focus on the instrumental pedagogies and practice that then allow the KS1 curriculum content to be secured for all children through gesture, visualisation, language, representations and manipulatives. This will reference: Mastering Number, the NCETM EYFS Domains, Learning Trajectories and Development Matters as frameworks.
  • Accelerate in KS4 (to achieve a grade 5) – Juliane Collings
    This workshop will look at how to support learners’ progress through the use of some mastery strategies. Allowing learners to consider a number of approaches and through the use of dialogic teaching and learning activities to further learners’ understanding of mathematical concepts rather than rote learning. The workshop will also consider a number of teaching approaches such as workshop sessions to focus on individual gaps in knowledge and how to plan and execute these within a range of settings.
  • Maths for all – Fran Watson
    Offering the opportunity for all learners to see themselves as problem solvers, is important for building positive relationships with a subject that is often thought of in the same light as Marmite! Come and participate in this practical hands-on workshop, to experience the intrigue, surprise and delight that comes from puzzling with paper. (These cross-phase activities have been rigorously road-tested and found to spark excitement in learners of all ages and their teachers.)
  • Using technology to improve outcomes in the secondary maths classroom: quick wins to take away today! – Gemma Gwilliam
    As part of the Digital City Project, we have all been looking at how technology can be used to enhance teaching and learning, support accessibility and inclusion and reduce workload, but what does this look like in the secondary maths classroom? How can technology be used to improve outcomes? What are those quick wins you can take away today without spending any money? Join us as we share best practice from across the city and continue to support all members of our community to select the right tool, for the right outcome, for them.

PEP Teaching and Learning Conference 2023

Booking for the inaugural Portsmouth Education Partnership Teaching and Learning Conference is now available via Eventbrite.

Our conference ‘Portsmouth Reads’ will be held on Wednesday 8 March 2023 at The Marriott Hotel.  With inspirational keynote speakers, interesting and informative workshops, stallholders, plus prizes and giveaways there is something for everyone who is passionate about the teaching of reading in Portsmouth, from early years to post-16.

Further information about each of workshops to enable participants to make their choices can be found below.

Early bird tickets are now on sale for the price of £85 + VAT if you book before the end of January 2023 (thereafter full price tickets will be £100 + VAT).

Book your ticket


Workshop descriptions

  • Supporting struggling readers in secondary (Vicky Parker)
    Ofsted carried out a research project on struggling readers in secondary schools (October 2022). The Portsmouth Educational Psychology Team had already recognised the need to get the right support in place by being clear on the underlying barriers to older children’s reading, writing and spelling skills, and selecting interventions and pathways that target these specifically.
  • Implementing Destination Reader (Hollie Gibbens and Wendy Fowler)
    Destination Reader is a pedagogical based approach to teaching reading through engaging daily, structured sessions that support all children to read with greater understanding, enjoyment and purpose. Learn how this approach (not scheme) is inspiring pupils and staff in just one of our many Portsmouth primary schools who have introduced Destination Reader with significant impact.
  • Ready to read! (Ella Harbut and Sue Bowler)
    Early Years Advisory teachers Ella and Sue will be sharing information and ideas about reading in the early years. The successful ‘Read with Me’ project promotes partnership working between nursery and Year R settings, libraries and parents so that children can access a number of specifically selected high quality picture books and a range of reading skills before, and as they start school.
  • Reading and pupils with EAL: the strengths they bring to reading, overcoming EAL specific barriers and the importance of representation in books (Karen Thomas and Marie Allen)
    With so many different languages spoken by children and families in Portsmouth and Bilingual Learning Assistants supporting in 20+ community languages, the acclaimed Portsmouth EMAS team are keen to help colleagues understand the barriers that face EAL pupils in learning to read English and how we can better support them in the classroom. Their specialist knowledge and signposting to resources is shared in this workshop.
  • ‘I really want to read: Engaging parents in reading with their children’ (Caroline Prince and Simon Philip)
    Children’s author Simon Philip is passionate about sharing his love of books, reading and writing. In this workshop he discusses the importance of reading for pleasure but even more crucially he will be sharing relatable ideas about how to encourage children and their parents to read for pleasure!
  • Improving Literacy from primary through to secondary: What does the evidence suggest are the best bets? (Steve Smith, HISP)
    Director of our local HISP Research School at Thornden, Steve Smith is a real expert on evidence-based practice and is able to helpfully direct professional colleagues to research that will inspire and support leaders and teachers in work and programmes that organisations such as the Education Endowment Foundation have highlighted.
  • Sensory impairment and reading (Marie Lloyd)
    Marie Lloyd, Manager for the local authority Vision and Hearing team shares implications for the teaching of reading with children who have additional sensory needs and ideas to upskill staff in schools and early years settings who work with these particular children and young people.
  • Phonics progression to support reading and spelling (Sarah Hilditch and Natalie Wilcox)
    Want to know more about phonics and how the progression from Key Stage 1 into Key Stage 2 and beyond can support children’s spelling skills. Sarah and Natalie have both been involved in helping to produce resources to support teachers across Portsmouth, such as the Phonics in 5 videos on ‘Increasing the repertoire’ and ‘Controlled exposure’, along with a Phonics and spelling progression mapping tool.

Teacher Workload and Retention Conference – 5 March 2020

The Portsmouth Conference on Teacher Workload and Retention will take place on Thursday 5 March 2020.  This half day event will enable Portsmouth head teachers and school leaders the chance to explore how to manage and reduce workload and improve teacher retention, whilst ensuring Portsmouth children receive the best possible education.

Attendees will hear from Sean Harford, Ofsted’s national director of education, Janine Ashman, a member of the DFE working group on workload, and head teachers and leaders from Portsmouth schools sharing their experience.

  • Sean Harford, Ofsted’s national director of education; and
  • Janine Ashman, Deputy Head of St Peter’s CE Primary, Somerset, and a member of the DFE working group on workload, who specialises in assessment.

The conference programme can be viewed here.

Places, which are free of charge, must be booked by Friday 14 February on the Portsmouth Learning Gateway.