Parents and caregivers all want their children to ‘do well’, ‘be good at Maths’ and ‘be challenged’ but what does that mean and how do we achieve these goals?
The answer is to set high expectations and teach the explicit steps to ensure a successful outcome. It starts with knowing how the student learns and setting the degree of difficulty of the work just ahead of that standard, so the student is engaged and equally, finds the work challenging. When something difficult is achieved, it’s possible to set ever higher goals. With the right support, focused teaching and collaborative endeavours our staff and students can achieve the goals they set for themselves.
Macquarie Grammar School is proud to partner with Loughborough University and Loughborough School in Leicester, England in a Mathematics Project. Loughborough High School is a prestigious school for girls in England. They, like us are an academic school and many of their students graduate and gain places at world-class universities like Oxford and Cambridge. Mathematically advanced students are selected by the schools to later be invited to take part in a challenge project by Loughborough University.
Marco Discacciati PhD, FIMA, FHEA, is a Reader in Applied Mathematics and Director of Studies in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and at Loughborough University. Dr. Discacciati sets questions and problems for students to solve. These are at the first-year university level of difficulty and set to challenge high school students.
Macquarie Grammar School has been selected on its outstanding Mathematical skills and will join Loughborough School in collaborating on the problems in the project. Students will work together online once a week. Tutoring to support the students successfully completing the project is Mr. Graham Needham, a Maths teacher at Loughborough School. Dr. Lynda Pinnington-Wilson, Principal at Macquarie Grammar School, will prepare a report on the project for participants so they may be able to use this evidence in applications to top tier universities world-wide.
The residual benefits we see is the impact such challenge has in the MGS classroom, an thinking and problem-solving skills. As a consequence, peer learning and collaboration flows into our classrooms and a sense of positivity is felt when results are higher.
Come and join us in this ‘leveling up’ at Macquarie!
Founded in 2004, the school caters for local and international students. Its mission is to provide a liberal-based curriculum and […]