Half of top-attaining 11 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds are no longer top attaining by 16. You play an important role in changing this statistic by identifying and engaging these pupils.
- Pupils eligible for pupil premium (minimum 30% of the circle)
- Pupils facing wider disadvantage
- Pupils with the heart for maths
- Pupils with the head for maths – prior high attainers
Attainment
SATs
We believe that the level of challenge in maths circles is suitable for pupils whose scaled score is at least 113 in their KS2 SATs, or 111 if eligible for pupil premium. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. If you believe that a child is attaining at around this level but they don’t have the SATs result to back that up, use your judgement. There will be pupils who are able to participate well in maths circles but who didn’t do well in SATs for a variety of reasons.
Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
Half of top-attaining 11 year olds from disadvantaged families are no longer top attaining by 16. You play an important role in changing this statistic by identifying and engaging these students. You should aim for every eligible disadvantaged student to join your maths circles, even (or especially!) those who might be hesitant about putting themselves forwards. If you have limited spaces, then prioritise pupils who are most at risk of not fulfilling their potential in Year 11.
Pupil premium
At least 30% of your maths circle pupils should be eligible for pupil premium.
Wider disadvantage
We know that not all disadvantage is picked up by pupil premium eligibility. Beyond the 30% pupil premium, we urge you to think broadly about wider disadvantage in your context. This means including pupils whose home or personal circumstances might make it more difficult for them to continue to achieve well in maths through secondary school.
Heart for maths
Interest and enthusiasm for maths are good indicators of whether a pupil will enjoy and participate well in a maths circle. You can assess this by inviting pupils to a taster session (or sessions) and seeing how they behave. There will be pupils who, for various reasons, don’t have the suggested SATs score yet will have the heart and head for maths that will help them excel in maths circles. We have additional ways to help support schools identify these pupils.
Application forms
Some schools have asked potential participants to complete an expression of interest form to reinforce the sense of achievement when they are selected for the circle. Completing a form can also increase a participant’s level of commitment because they have actively chosen to join the circle. However, this barrier might also put some students off from applying and so any application-led approach should be supplemented by support for target students who you know you want to attend.
A note on SEND
There are many examples of pupils with SEND that excel in maths. We aim to make maths circles inclusive to all pupils including those with SEND, and we currently have circles running in both mainstream and special schools. Some of our mentors tell us that their neurodivergent pupils especially benefit from the emphasis on building confident mathematical communication in a small group environment. As with any other educational provision, some pupils with SEND will require reasonable adjustments to allow them to make the most of the opportunity.