Open in a web browser here.
OCR_NEW_CMYK_FLAT_Jan2019
Person using a calculator
Total Maths Newsletter

Hello Colleague

We hope you had a restful Easter holiday and are looking forward to the term ahead. 😊

If you're interested in marking this summer, we have vacancies for Examiners for AS / A Level Maths B (MEI), AS / A Level Further Maths A and AS / A Level Further Maths B (MEI). Marking is a great opportunity to work within the exam system and develop your understanding of a qualification and how it’s assessed.

Earlier this month Caroline and Neil joined Teachers Talk Radio as guests on their show. It was a great conversation focussing on preparing students for GCSE (9-1) Maths exams, as well as discussing common exam ‘myths’ and the truth behind them. Listen back now via their website or YouTube.

Timetables for the summer 2025 exam series are available from our key dates and timetables webpage.

As always, if you have any queries or need further support, please get in touch. We're here to support you as you deliver our qualifications.

Neil, Ruth, Caroline, Amy and Steven - your OCR Maths Subject Advisors 

maths@ocr.org.uk
@OCR_Maths
01223 553998
OCR-Newsletter-Box-shaddow
The DfE’s Curriculum and Assessment Review interim report
Teachers networking

Last month the Department for Education published the interim report of its ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review.

The interim report sets out their initial findings, along with outlining their next phase of work.

We’ve recently proposed a number of our own recommendations for change for maths, aiming to empower all students without leaving any behind. You can read more about our own recommendations online.

If you're interested in influencing our next steps for maths education, please join our Maths Advisory Panel to contribute to the discussion and help improve maths for all.

Join our Maths Advisory Panel
GCSE (9-1) Maths November 2024 alternative papers

We recently published a brand-new set of GCSE (9-1) Maths Alternative Papers. This set is based on the November 2024 papers. They can be used for additional exam preparation with students, or used alongside the original question papers in order to monitor progress.

Download them now from Teach Cambridge (you’ll find them in the ‘Exams’ section). Mark schemes are included.
Student sitting exams

Teach Cambridge
Upcoming professional development
Teachers talking

Below you’ll find dates of our professional development courses coming up this term. Head over to our maths professional development webpage for more information and to book your place now.

  • Wednesday 21 May – Developing problem-solving skills in pure maths for A Level Maths A and A Level Maths B (MEI)
  • Tuesday 24 June – Choosing OCR GCSE (9-1) Maths.

Materials from past courses are available to you to download from Teach Cambridge. Select your qualification, then in the menu go to ‘Training’, then ‘Past training events’.

Maths professional development
Upcoming maths Teacher Networks

We have a number of our popular Teacher Networks coming up this term. These are completely free to attend and are set up to bring maths teachers together, so we can share relevant updates, answer your questions, discuss best practice collectively and more.

Book your place now for any of the below.
Teachers in a room
  • Tuesday 29 April – A Level Maths, Further Maths & Core Maths (face to face at Redland Green School, Bristol) – We’ll look at how to approach topics shared between Core Maths and the A Level statistics content, as well as revision activities to use with students.
  • Tuesday 13 May – A Level Maths (online) – We’ll focus on end of year 12 activities and look ahead towards the new academic year.
  • Wednesday 18 June – Level 3 FSMQ: Additional Maths (online) – We’ll look back at the summer 2025 question paper and ideas for supporting students’ progress from GCSE (9-1) Maths to A level Maths.
  • Tuesday 24 June – A Level Maths (online) – We’ll review the summer 2025 question papers and how to support student transition from GCSE (9-1) Maths to A level Maths.
  • Wednesday 25 June – GCSE (9-1) Maths (online) – We’ll reflect over the past year and look ahead to the next, as well as share our latest resources update and an overview of the support that will be available from results day.

Whether you’re already teaching a qualification or just interested in learning more, you’re very welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there. 😊

If you’d be interested in running a future face-to-face network at your school, please let us know.

Maths Teacher Networks
Our latest blogs
Person reading our blog on a tablet

Steven and Amy have recently published new blogs supporting our qualifications.

In ‘A Level Maths and Further Maths: improving the student experience in our exams’, Amy looks at how we’re working to improve A Level Maths and Further Maths exams. She looks at factors such as font, formatting & diagrams and how we continue to review question paper design to further improve their accessibility to students.

Steven has published ‘FSMQ – what can you expect from the teacher network webinar?’, where he outlines the discussion from the recent Level 3 FSMQ: Additional Maths spring teacher network and what's coming up for this enrichment qualification.

Maths blogs
New Core Maths Check In tests

We’ve just published two more Section Check In tests for our Core Maths qualifications. These latest ones are on the ‘Exponentials’ and the ‘Finance’ content. They join the other recently published Core Maths Section Check In tests on ‘Statistics’, the ‘Normal Distribution’ and ‘Modelling’.

All can be downloaded now from Teach Cambridge for both Core Maths A and Core Maths B, under ‘Teaching’ and then ‘Progress checking’.

Teach Cambridge

 
Student sitting an exam
Entry Level Maths – moderation deadline
Student working

The deadline for submitting marks for moderation for our Entry Level Certificate in Mathematics (R449) is Thursday 15 May.

Forms are available from Teach Cambridge. Once you’re logged in and have selected ‘Entry Level Certificate: Mathematics’, go to the ‘Assessment’ menu and look in ‘Forms’.

Schools and colleges are advised to hold onto their sample until a moderator’s address is sent.

Teach Cambridge

This email was sent to you by OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) because you consented to us online or at one of our events, or with one of our carefully selected partners to receive OCR email communications.

If you no longer wish to receive OCR Updates from us and would like to remove your details from our list please unsubscribe from all future emails or alternatively you can update your email preferences here. 

OCR is a not for profit organisation and a company limited by guarantee registered in England, No. 3484466 Registered Office: The Triangle Building Shaftesbury Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 8EA United Kingdom