So well researched, absolutely brilliant
I have been so impressed by Third Space Learning. The tuition programme and the resources are so well researched – absolutely brilliant!
We looked into Third Space Learning to see how it could help us address not only the learning loss due to the pandemic, but the huge loss of motivation our pupils had in maths. One of the key selling points for us was that the programme would work alongside quality-first teaching, providing our disadvantaged pupils additional support rather than replacing time with their teachers. The sessions run after school and allow the pupils time to work at their own pace and pay focused attention to the areas they are struggling with in class.
Building the maths and the soft study skills too
The great thing about the programme is that it addresses the academic side, but also considers the soft study skills too.
It’s really beautiful; the tuition combines building the child’s ability to do the maths with building their metacognition.
It’s focused on the emotional side of each pupil as a learner, and the tutors encourage them to think: ‘How do I learn? What helps me to learn? What state of mind am I in?’ It helps pupils understand that they are meant to learn and remember these strategies, which is such an important skill to develop at KS2. Planting the seed for this style of thinking in our Year 4 pupils is fantastic.
The programme really covers all the elements to develop that child’s confidence as a learner.
It’s not just about giving them a bunch of worksheets to work through, it’s focused on really looking at the gaps in that particular child’s mathematical learning, then going back over it until they are confident with the targeted skill or concept. This is what some children really need to develop the confidence to make mistakes in maths and not be scared of doing so. By allowing them this time to go over the content and work through questions at their own pace, the tutors remove this fear so often associated with maths at this stage in learning.
You can really see its impact
You can really see its impact! Our Year 4 and 6 pupils are now doing really well in their maths.
The reports provided are key in allowing us to monitor and track pupil progress. They are so detailed, highlighting the next steps for where the child needs to go. They’re fantastic for our class teachers. After the session, I’m able to share with teachers how each pupil is getting on and where they are still struggling. We can clearly identify the areas flagged up by the reports and provide more effective long-term teaching and support.
Resources that free teachers for quality-first teaching
The resources on the Third Space Maths Hub allow our teachers to dedicate their time and energy to quality-first teaching.
We are a school that is committed to reducing teacher workload and allowing teachers to put their energy into actual teaching. The Maths Hub makes this possible. Our teachers can use their PPA time in school to quickly and easily find ready-to-go resources rather than spending time creating or finding the resources. It’s all already there on the Third Space Maths Hub.
The resources are constantly evolving, building on feedback from teachers, to ensure they are consistently supporting teachers’ maths lessons.
All the resources follow the guidance from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). They have Learning Objectives, effective questions and key success criteria, all tying in with the National Curriculum. Recently I was talking to a teacher after a lesson observation and one of the action points I’d identified for her was to introduce sentence stems to develop her pupils’ reasoning ability. Lo and behold, when I went on Third Space Maths Hub, there were Sentence Stems available on all aspects of the maths national curriculum organised from Year 1-6 – it’s absolutely fantastic!
“We looked into Third Space Learning programme to see how it could help us address not only the learning loss due to the pandemic, but the huge loss of motivation our pupils had in maths. It’s really beautiful; the tuition combines the child’s ability to do the maths as well as builds their metacognition skills. I express sincere gratitude to the dedicated Third Space Learning resource team, it really is fantastic what they are doing.”
Long-term support for our school, subsidised or not
Even if the tuition wasn’t subsidised, I see Third Space Learning as long-term support for our school.
I want every child to have the best possible foundation in maths to take them into secondary school, to help not only with their maths GCSE but also long-term career aspects. I believe Third Space Learning will provide so many of our pupils with that opportunity, with or without the National Tutoring Programme support.
Watch a session in action
See how Skye guides pupils through a full one-to-one session.
