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Lizi Pepper

@mathspeptalk.bsky.social
331 followers 304 following 68 posts

Secondary Maths NCETM Mastery Specialist (cohort 7). KS3 Curriculum Lead. Lead Practitioner. Masters in Education. NPQLT. I am an absolute learning nerd, all things Maths, education and Maths education! mathspeptalk.blogspot.com/?m=1

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Jonathan Hall @studymaths.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
We used algebra tiles in #MathsToday to prove that the sum of 5 consecutive integers is always a multiple of 5.
Algebra tiles demonstrating that 5 consecutive integers can always form a 5 by "something" rectangle.
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Mrs P ♥️ maths @mrs-p-maths.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Found my year 7 class discussing Numberblocks in #MathsToday to help them with square numbers. Such a brilliant TV show that clearly has an impact on children's understanding of number. #iteachmaths
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
By the way, why not make your New Year’s resolution be to start sharing little things that went well in your maths lessons using #MathsToday? Whenever I make a habit of this, it always makes me feel more positive about my job. It’s lovely to scroll through and see what everyone else is doing too.
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Having some fun with area models with Y8. I love the bit where you go into negatives and it all still works! I often skip this step, but (as well as being a nice demo for negxneg=pos) it helps overcome their distrust at negative terms appearing as lengths/areas in algebraic models. #MathsToday
How could splitting up the rectangle help you find the area?

A rectangle measuring 16 by 23 has been split into four regions by splitting the lengths into (10+6) and (20+3). The individual areas have been calculated and added to get a total of 368. The same 16 by 23 rectangle has been split into four regions by splitting the lengths into (12+4) and (10+13). The individual areas have been calculated and added to get a total of 368. The same 16 by 23 rectangle has been split into four regions by splitting the lengths into (20-4) and (25-2). The individual areas have been calculated and added to get a total of 368.
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Dan Lewis @4301maths.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
It’s not quite what @dwekselgreene.bsky.social is doing, but inspired by a general idea, put these together for expanding and collecting like terms #MathsToday #ukmathsteachers
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Our Y8 SOW sensibly includes recapping negative arithmetic before they start expanding brackets. This year I realised I don’t usually get them to practise negatives in the context of algebra, though, so in #MathsToday I gave them these questions to fill that gap.
16 questions that involve adding, subtracting or multiplying terms, some of which are negative.
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Today’s Y13 starter - I really like how c & d can be solved either by changing the inequality and using the original distribution, or by transforming the distribution and using the original values. #MathsToday #ALevelMaths
X~N (50,21)
a) Find P(X<54)
b) Find a such that P(X>a) = 0.1
c) Find K such that P (KX<60) = 0.5
d) Fund P (2X-30<54)Worked solutions to parts c and d using two different methods.
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Mrs P ♥️ maths @mrs-p-maths.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
In #MathsToday I used stem sentences to support teaching of expanding brackets. I was pleasantly surprised to hear pupils respond to questions using the structure of the stem sentence without me prompting them to do so. Would love to hear others' experiences of stem sentences in secondary maths.
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
I enjoyed doing this question with Y7 #MathsToday. I need to remember to revisit this with Y8 when they start standard form - it’s exactly the way I want them to be thinking about it.
Four students write the number 2,500,000 in words.
Two and a half million.
Two million, five hundred thousand
Twenty-five hundred thousand.
A quarter of a billion.
Which are correct? Use a place value chart to help.The four descriptions from the previous slide modelled in four place value charts.
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Miss Morris @morrismaths359.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
#Mathstoday Year 8 finished their section on simplifying expressions ending with adding x^2 types to the mix. They also got to do some finding expressions of perimeter questions.
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Dan Rodriguez-Clark @interactive-maths.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
After #MathsToday I created a new fill in the blanks generator on Normal Distribution. www.interactive-maths.com/normal-distr... You can choose what is revealed / hidden for any randomly generated distribution by clicking. Easy to screenshot into a presentation, or use live.
A bell curve with the area greater than 40.8 shaded with the area marked as 0.1044, and then 8 related questions with blanks to fill in.
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Aaron PS @ronpaq.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
With Year 11 F today we are beginning to revisit nth term rules of arithmetic sequences. First, a task I made deducing the hundredth term of sequences constructed with dots and "describing" the nth term. #mathstoday
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Jonathan Hall @studymaths.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
I used this yesterday with Y7. The number line helped them get their heads around the idea that there is one more "jump" than blanks to fill. #MathsToday
Four linear sequences all starting at 7 and ending at 19 but with a different number of gaps to fill for each (1, 2, 3, 5)
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Miss Morris @morrismaths359.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
#Mathstoday Got to start expressions with my other year 8 group today.
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Loving simplifying surds using areas of squares and side lengths in #MathsToday
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
www.tes.com/jobs/vacancy... #MathsToday reposting this brilliant opportunity to work in a dept who teach for mastery and genuinely an excellent and welcoming team, lovely school and fantastic students!
tes.com
Teacher of Mathematics (Fixed Term - Maternity Cover), Macclesfield - Tes Jobs
Tytherington School, United Kingdom
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
KS3 5 times a year (2 summative assessments and 3 mini assessments) students mark a lot of their own work. KS4 once per week plus assessments (too much IMO) KS5 once per unit plus assessments.
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Aaron PS @ronpaq.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
I love teaching quadratics. I find there it makes a lovely closed universe to explore. And we start with factorising! Today, my favourite factorising task with some low-prior attaining Year 11s. They hate how the numbers are "the same", but it gets them thinking. #mathstoday
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Matt Woodfine @matttheapp.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
💡 No calculators allowed! 😈 A great one to finish a lesson on equating bases. Perfect for testing those laws of indices! #maths #mathsteacher #iteachmaths #MathsToday
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
In #MathsToday a brilliant opportunity to work at my school for a temporary period. It is an amazing school, supportive department and an excellent opportunity for the right person. Please share with anyone who it might suit: www.tes.com/jobs/vacancy...
tes.com
Teacher of Mathematics (Fixed Term - Maternity Cover), Macclesfield - Tes Jobs
Tytherington School, United Kingdom
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MrLevMaths @mrlevmaths.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Trickier Surds questions with Y11 in #MathsToday I love writing questions based on fun maths challenge qus and found these I wrote a while ago that I really like PPT on old blog post here: chelekmaths.com/2023/06/20/s...
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Dr. Gary Ackerman @garyackermanphd.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
If you can’t identify data that would prove you wrong, you are not really data-driven.
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HannahKettleMaths @hannahkettlemaths.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Next cover lesson is up! Unit 2 Foundation - simplifying expressions, indices, expanding, factorising and substitution etc. Print the double sided worksheet and use the video to support students. www.hannahkettlemaths.co.uk/cover #mathstoday
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Jonathan Hall @studymaths.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
I used this task this week to introduce Y10 to simultaneous equations. Drawing attention to important decisions that need to be made. #MathsToday
"What's the same and what's different?"
4 pairs of simultaneous equations with very similar coefficients.
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Susanne Mallett @susannemallett.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
#mathstoday Brilliant time with @vwheelhouse.bsky.social in session 1 of MEI’s TGM:Live course, discussing use of ratio tables, double number lines and bar models to support GCSE students to tackle ratio problems. Not too late to join this fantastic cohort of teachers: mei.org.uk/teaching-gcs...
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Victoria @sundayteatime.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
In #MathsToday we used this ncetm checkpoint and followed it up with this Don Steward beauty donsteward.blogspot.com/2013/12/near... for Functional Skills level 1 #FEMaths
Arranging digits ncetm task
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Karen Campe @karencampe.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
New blog post on this PYTHAGOREAN SQUARES day! Go For Geometry! 7 is here, how to build the squares-on-sides Pythagorean figure with all technology platforms! karendcampe.wordpress.com/2025/09/16/g... Happy 9-16-25! #MTBoS #iTeachMath #T3Learns #Geometry #MathSky #MathsToday
karendcampe.wordpress.com
Go For Geometry! 7
Using Dynamic Technology to Build Understanding ◊ Episode 7: Pythagorean Squares◊ Today is a “perfect square day” since the date is 9-16-25 (or 16-9-25 if you live somewhere that puts the day first…
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Japleen Kaur @japleenkaur.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
MathsTeachers - looking for an excellent CPD? I would highly recommend @mathshubs. Everyone of their courses are brilliant! Please share. Thank you.
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Miss Morris @morrismaths359.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
#mathstoday My year 8 LPA were using mathsbot today to help them collect like terms. It worked really well
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Matt Man @mr-man-maths.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Teaching #ALevelMaths in 2025/26? Based in Gloucs or Worcs? Want to join a workgroup where there is plenty of networking with a willingness to be challenged on an area of pedagogical teaching? Then sign up to @ncetm.bsky.social GLOW Maths Developing A Level pedagogy! Info tinyurl.com/3bsymdd9
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
In #MathsToday using my fave algebra tiles to factorise quadratics, so that students can visualise which factor pair they need
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
More Y9 trig #MathsToday: we ditched the tables in favour of drawing multipliers directly onto the triangles. This lesson went pretty well! Still just using sin and cos, and today I kept everything in one orientation as well.
Three triangles, with working in a ratio table to find a missing length. The same three triangles and answers with the tables removed, and the title How might we skip the table?The reference triangle with multipliers drawn on: x sin(a) goes from the hypotenuse of 1 to the opposite of sin(a), and x cos(a) goes from the hypotenuse of 1 to the adjacent of cos(a).Four questions that have been solved by drawing multipliers onto the triangles
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Yorkshire Ridings Maths Hub @yrmathshub.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Looking to support non-specialist maths teachers in your school? Join the EEF trial of the NCETM’s SKTM Secondary Non-specialists Programme and help shape the future of maths CPD in England. Book your place by 12/06 rb.gy/p2pgv2 @ncetm.bsky.social‬
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
For the next stage of our trig lessons, we looked at the unit circle and introduced sine and cosine as a way to generate a reference triangle for any angle. At this stage they’re still then using similarity and ratio tables to find the missing sides. #MathsToday
We have seen these numbers before...

On the left is a picture of the unit circle with an angle of 30 degrees and the sine and cosine lengths marked on. On the right is a triangle with side lengths of 1,0.5 and 0.866 which is labelled 30 degree reference triangle. The ultimate reference triangle: a right angled triangle with an angle a and side lengths of 1, cos(a) and sin(a)Using your reference triangles, write down the value of

1. sin (35) = 0.574
2. cos (35) = 0.819
3. sin (20) = 0•342
4. Sin (5) = 0•087
5. cos (40) = 0.766
6. cos (15) = 0.966
7. cos (10) = 0.985
8. Sin (60) = 0•866
9. cos (80) = 0.174
10. cos (55) =0.574
11. cos (25) = 0.906
12. sin (85) = 0.996A triangle with sides 22 and an and an angle of 64.5 degrees. Next to it is a ratio table which has been used to set up an equation to find a
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Great questions on indices from Maths HKO, really getting students to think deeply #mathstoday
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Dan Draper @dandraper.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
After school further maths getting stuck into some trig equation solving. Planned a really precise approach for yr12 (manipulatives, laminated write-on graphs, small steps that move v quickly) and it’s worked really well for year 10 L2FM too! #MathsToday
Photo of a whiteboard showing solving simple trig equations via graphs. First section is only number of solutions, second is values.
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Linking ratio and algebra with Y10 #MathsToday
A bar model showing 4 parts for A and 5 for B. Text underneath reads: 
A : B = 4:5
A is 4 of the 5 equal parts which make B.
A is 4/5 of B.
A =4/5*B

There are similar statements for B is terms of A which are half covered up by grey boxes. 6 questions following the same format as the previous slide. A handwritten annotation next to the first question reads x is _ of the _ equal parts that make y
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Proditorious Vermonster @proditorious.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
If we assume that all colors are equally likely (p=.25), what is the likelihood that I would only get 3 or less strawberry Starbursts out of 34? Binomial X <= 3 with n=34 and p=.25 is less than 2% Is this evidence that Strawberry starbursts are actually less likely than other flavors #Statsky ?
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Amanda Austin @draustinmaths.com · 27/04/2025
Another new resource added today, this time from A-level Maths numerical methods: ✨Newton-Raphson Method Fill in the Blanks Find it at www.draustinmaths.com/a-level #ALevelMaths #MathsToday #UKMathsChat
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
Y12 have found proof by contradiction really hard! We did some practice at just writing down the opposite statement first (pink in first 2 pics), and then I’ve been scaffolding the proofs fairly heavily. Does anyone have a good bank of examples for more practice? #ALevelMaths #MathsToday
If n is an integer and n^3+ 5 is odd, then n is even 
[in pink] There is an odd integer k for which k^3+ 5 is odd

Underneath a proof has been written out, using the following sentence starters which are in a different colour. 
Suppose that... 
Then k can be written as...
So k^3+5 = 
which is a contradiction because... 
So there is no...
Therefore…A similarly scaffolded proof that if a is an integer and a^2 is even, then a is even. 
Pink text reads: There is an odd integer k for which k^2 is evenA similarly scaffolded proof that if a is rational and b is irrational, a+b is irrationalA diagram to represent the logic behind proof by contradiction. 
Pale coloured text underneath the diagram reads: If this were true, this would be true, and this would be true,... And this would be true, but I know it can't be.
Since my chain of reasoning is watertight, the problem must be at the very beginning, so the initial statement is false.
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Jenny Cains @jennycains.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
In #mathstoday this odd one out task worked really well and allowed us to recover quite a lot of important vocabulary 😁
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mrshoward1975.bsky.social @mrshoward1975.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Every time I teach fractions to Y7 there are students who already feel they have mastered it. So it was great in #Mathstoday when exploring the relationship between the numerator and denominator, to see that this was new to the whole class as a way to spot equivalent fractions. #MathsChat #Mathtoday
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Japleen Kaur @japleenkaur.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
In #MathsToday we had a go at using algebra tiles for expanding double brackets, with my nurture Y9 class. Took a while, but we got there. So pleased for my students.
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Evidence Based Education @evidencebased.education · 01/04/2025
Growing Middle Leaders: leading professional development in your team In this blog professor Stuart Kime explores how middle leaders can become the engine room for professional development in their teams and help their colleagues to grow and thrive. Read it here 👉 buff.ly/We9KPjD #EduBlogShare
buff.ly
Growing Middle Leaders – Leading PD in your team
Learn about the influence of middle leaders on professional development and their unique support for teaching excellence.
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Another same&different activity with Y8. I think they were surprised that there turned out to be more the similarities than differences. #MathsToday
Worked solutions for two questions:
Simplify 5a^2 x 2a
Simplify 45 x 6
Annotated with things that are the same about both examples. Worked solutions for two questions:
Simplify 5a^2 x 2a
Simplify 45 x 6
Annotated with things that are different about the two examples.
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
What a loss for future training teachers! Hoping you find other ways to share your wealth of knowledge and expertise 🙏
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Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Y8 #MathsToday: we extended the tables downwards, and they pretty quickly realised they could use the numbers they could see in order to evaluate these. We even managed negative fractional indices! Honestly this way of teaching indices is a game changer. Thanks @blatherwicksam.bsky.social
Power tables with 4 blank columns below the 1. Some values have been written in to continue the pattern, and some random cells also filled in - this is the result of my “what goes here?” MWB questioning.
Questions above the table include 10^-1 and 2^-8, both of which rely on students spotting and extending the patterns in the table. The same power table but with even more annotation. Questions above now read 9^-½, 64^-1, 49^-2 and 64^-5/2
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Lizi Pepper @mathspeptalk.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
I've been fortunate enough to visit some colleagues to see some amazing different lessons around my school and in one of the schools I'm working with. Strikes me we really should plan and teach together more. It really is the best CPD. Teachers need more time to do it. #MathsToday
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Learning by Questions @lbqorg.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
SECONDARY MATHS TEACHERS We asked an experienced maths teacher to give us a list of topics that are perfect for last-minute, easy wins for GCSE students. Our blog delves into a list of topics for higher and a list for foundation, as well as links to resources. #LbQMaths #UKmathschat #mathstoday
secondary-maths.lbq.org
Maximise the marks: quick and easy wins in GCSE maths
It’s GCSE maths crunch time and you’re looking for a list of last-minute topic wins? We got you. AND we’ve included handy links to associated resources.
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gerard mcn @germinalmaths.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
Added set 4 later to keep my S3 class on their toes - after all, the old stuff can seem harder alongside the new stuff. #MathsToday
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