St John’s Church of England First School
Dorset, UK
What makes St John's an Accredited School?
We were impressed by the school’s commitment to the whole-class approach to teaching, which was evidenced throughout the school. They have an exploratory approach to teaching — not a didactic one — and even the very youngest learners were confident enough to tackle advanced maths problems with gusto.
School at a glance:
- First school of 150~ students
- Part of Wimborne Academy Trust
- Works in partnership with eight other schools in Wimborne
- Rated by Ofsted as “Outstanding”
“Our children are confident to talk about different strategies and are very confident in using a range of models to explain their thinking.”
– Katharine Anstey, Head of School and Maths Lead
In their own words
Our Maths — No Problem! journey
Having heard Andy Psarianos, Founder of Maths — No Problem!, speak at the Dorset Maths Matters Conference in 2014, we applied and became a part of the successful NCETM textbook trial. As well as trialling high-quality textbooks in the classroom, our staff attended in-depth training with Dr Yeap Ban Har, which resulted in St John’s and many other schools taking part in a strategic CPD approach in developing Singapore maths.
The ongoing Inset training and CPD opportunities provided by Maths — No Problem! and our maths lead resulted in many schools visiting us to see the Singapore approach. These sessions have had 100% positive feedback from maths leads and class teachers across Dorset and the South West.
Maths — No Problem! in our school
Every class in our school uses Maths — No Problem! textbooks and workbooks. The children are all very familiar with the approach and demonstrate high levels of engagement and success.
Our children are confident talking about different strategies in their mathematical understanding and are very confident in using a range of models to explain their thinking. Their learning has developed using the textbooks and builds upon previous learning effectively. We are continually developing how the children journal and record their understanding. St John’s is fully committed to Maths — No Problem!, and is passionate about developing this approach within our own school and beyond.
School contact details
Contact name:
Michelle Prince - Headteacher
Address:
St John’s CE First School
St John’s Hill
Wimborne
Dorset
BH21 1BX
Phone number:
01202 883675
Email St John’s School
Visit St John’s School Website
