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Maths Inspiration for sixth formers and year 11s 

Maths Inspiration is presenting two shows in Cardiff on 7th December 2011 from 10 a.m. - 12 noon and 1.00 - 3.00 p.m. at the Concert Hall.  There will be three interactive talks from some of the country's most engaging maths speakers, on topics that will appeal to year 11s and sixth formers.  This is followed by a lively Q &A session in which students get to ask the panellists anything they want.  The interactive talks are:  The Maths of the Simpsons (Matt Parker); How Maths Built the Olympic Stadium (Paul Shepherd); and The Maths of TV Gameshows (Rob Eastaway).  For more information please go to www.mathsinspiration.com.

Online Access to Further Mathematics Resources

The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, the Welsh Assembly Government, is funding a Further Maths Support Programme (FMSP) pilot in Wales.  As part of the FMSP Wales pilot Mathematics in Education and Industry (http://mei.org.uk) working with WIMCS is now offering free single-user teacher access to MEI's extensive online Further Mathematics resources known as Integral.  The resources cover all four English Further Mathematics specifications (AQA, Edexcel, MEI and OCR) and WJEC specifications (bilingual) are currently being added to the suite.  The resources include all of the AS/A level Further Pure modules and almost all of the AS/A level applied mathematics modules.  They also include materials to support the principal learning mathematics unit within the Level 3 Engineering Diploma. 

To access the online resources for Further Mathematics, follow the link http://www.furthermaths.org.uk/wales.php .  It takes around 2 weeks for the process to be completed.  For more information on the FMSP Wales please look on the website link or email adminwales@furthermaths.org.uk .

Maths outreach events at the University of Glamorgan

The Faculty of Advanced Technology at the University of Glamorgan offers a range of maths events for schools and colleges including maths masterclasses for years 9 and 10, revision conferences and pop quizzes.  For details of events planned for the academic year 2011/12, please e-mail Dr Mark Jones (msjones@glam.ac.uk), the outreach events coordinator.
 
Royal Institution Mathematics Masterclasses in Wales 

The Royal Institution of Great Britain  (http://www.rigb.org) is an umbrella organisation which supports mathematics masterclasses across the UK.  The 2012 series of mathematics masterclasses for more able year 9 pupils from secondary schools in Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot  will be offered by the Wales Instititute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences from  January 2012 with the support of Swansea and Swansea Metropolitan Universities. Nominations to the masterclasses are made by schools.  For more information please email outreachcoordinator@wimcs.ac.uk .  Please note that in case of severe weather conditions, you are advised not to travel unless it is safe to do so.  However, every effort will be made to provide an event for those who do manage to make their way safely to the venue.

The masterclasses in North Wales are run by the University of Bangor.  For further information please follow the link http://www.maths.bangor.ac.uk/masterclasses/mastclas.html. 

The University of Glamorgan runs a range of mathematics activities for schools in South East Wales including masterclasses and more information may be found at www.glam.ac.uk/maths.

For more information on WIMCS's outreach activities including the mathematics masterclasses, please contact Alison Braddock (Email: outreachcoordinator@wimcs.ac.uk.  For further information on the Royal Institution and its mathematics masterclasses, please visit http://www.rigb.org.

Aberystwyth Mathematics Club

The Aberystwyth Mathematics Club is run by the Institute of Mathematics and Physics at Aberystwyth University.  Its main aim is to provide enjoyable and stimulating mathematics to study.  Membership of AMC is open to everyone who has an interest in mathematics, both students and teachers. The topics are related to those studied at school/college, but go beyond the typical syllabus. You can read and/or download our material for free; if you become a correspondent, you will receive detailed feedback on any solutions you submit. The AMC provides support in a variety of languages, including Welsh. It hopes that you will like and make use of the materials provided. You may find yourself better prepared for studying mathematics at any University, and enjoy it more as a result. The Club's activities are supported by an outreach programme of visits to schools and colleges. Further information about aims and objectives, how to join, how to access the mathematics documents, how to become a correspondent, and what outreach activities AMC runs can be found by clicking on the http://www.aber.ac.uk/maps/amc/en/index.php link.

EPSRC Partnerships for Engagement Schools Roadshows Project - Maths on Tour

Two schools roadshows have been developed in partnership with Science Made Simple (http://www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/), an award winning science communication company based in Cardiff, and academic staff from university mathematics departments in Wales. The aim of the roadshows is to inspire and motivate school children in Key Stage 3 (aged 11–14) and Key Stage 4 (aged 14–16) in Wales to continue to study mathematics and computational sciences at GCE A/AS and higher educational levels. The project is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and by the Universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Glamorgan and Swansea, which are the partner institutions of the Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences. 
 
The key messages we want to get across are:
 
  1. Mathematics is fundamental for science, engineering, finance, industry and commerce.
  2. A wide range of careers are open to those who study mathematics.
  3. Mathematics provides key skills required at almost all levels of employment.
  4. Mathematics provides individuals with empowering skills in private and social life.
  5. Mathematics is a living discipline with active researchers. 
The methods we will use to achieve our aim and put across the key messages are:
 
  1. The development and delivery of a new Key Stage 3 (11-14 years old) Roadshow for schools that highlights the range of careers open to mathematicians - 'mathsapps'
  2. The development and delivery of a new Key Stage 4 (14-16 years old) Roadshow for schools that illustrates how mathematics can be used to evaluate information pupils come across in everyday life.  It is based on a game show approach with competing teams of pupils and is called 'I've got your number'.
  3. A training programme for presenters of the roadshows.
The proposal uses an established method of engagement, the roadshow, in a new way. The performance format of the Maths on Tour Roadshows means that up to150 pupils can attend each show within their own school.  Flexible timings for schools are offered and the cost to schools of the Roadshows is heavily subsidised to encourage take up. The aim is to deliver 60 Roadshows over the life of the project to secondary schools across Wales.  With an average audience size of 150 students per show, this gives an anticipated impact of 9000 students.  Of the 60 shows it is anticipated that 40 will be delivered by science made simple staff, and the remaining 20 by university research and academic staff thereby widening awareness of university level research in the mathematical sciences. 
 
After the end of the project, the Roadshows will continue to be offered which will widen the choice of enrichment and enhancement opportunities to schools in Wales and represent current mathematics research and its applications. It is likely that in an average year, the shows will be booked by schools at least 20 times, giving an ongoing impact of around 3000 students per year. 

Leaders Awards

WIMCS would like to draw Schools attention to the Leaders Awards. Full details can be found at Leaders Award for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) . They are a fantastic way that we can increase young people's awareness of the breadth of opportunities open to them within the STEM subjects. They also help to develop vital literacy and communication skills and give students a chance to speak directly with professionals from different fields in STEM, opening their aspirations.

 

Students can apply to be Leaders for STEM or STEM Reporters, for both, the award is in two parts:

 

1.            A letter of application to be written by the students to apply for the post of 'Leader for STEM' or 'STEM Reporter' in their school. You can download a letter of application template from the Leaders Award website (www.leadersaward.com) to help guide you with this task.

 

2.            To complete the award students then have the opportunity to interview professionals who work in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics. There are no limits on the number of interviews any one applicant undertakes although the minimum is one.

 

Special Awards are offered for interviews with a particular focus and have fabulous prizes attached, from cash prizes to solar powered media players! For example, they have an NCETM Special Leaders Award, where students can win up to £100 and an NCETM Special Teachers Award, where teachers can win up to £250. They are also linked with BLOODHOUND SSC, who also sponsor a Special Award.

 

National Science Learning Centre ENTHUSE Cluster Awards

Interested in professional development in science? eg
 

Awards are for up to £8000 and are available in Wales. For the next round expressions of interest need to be received at NSLC by13th Jan 2012.

Further details at www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk/centres/national/the-enthuse-cluster-award 

NSA/WIMCS STEM CPD PROGRAMME

In conjunction with its partners the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry, and with financial support from the Welsh Goverment through National Science Academy, WIMCS organises CPD for Secondary Teachers of Maths, Physics and Chemistry in Wales.

Local 'twilight' events are planned in Swansea, Glamorgan and Cardiff areas for Spring Term 2012 - for details please contact M.R.Boex@swan.ac.uk

A major CPD conference for Secondary STEM Teachers has been arranged for 20/21st January 2012 at Swansea University - for details please see here