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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

How do I help my y12 son get some Philosophy enrichment / experience? He studies Double Maths, Philosophy and Music BTEC, he doesn't qualify for any widening access stuff although is wholly state educated and both parents work in public sector, and we live 10m from a q1 postcode. Any ideas pls?!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Remarks. @teachertapp.bsky.social pls can you ask about English GCSE remarks in particular. My own son's Lit grade has just moved from 5 to 7. Similar has happened at my school. Is this as widespread as it sounds?

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Who inspired me to become a teacher? I didn't mean to be one, I did PGCE partly for something to do, partly to get into museum educator roles. 26 years later.... still teaching! @teachertapp.bsky.social

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Can anyone recommend a student workbook we can give to top Foundation y10 students to support them to move up to higher please? (They already have the @justmaths.bsky.social crossover and higher books!) #mathstoday Thanks

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Yeah definitely would include things like that too, but our main focus in y7 is manipulation of expressions

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

In #mathstoday my son has asked me for some challenging OCR Add Maths #fsmq questions in prep for tomorrow - all I can find are past papers, and he's done them all. Anyone know of anything please?

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

We do that. We only solve easy 1 step equations in y7 by inspection (eg 5 + what = 7) and save balancing for y8.

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Good so did I. It's a set of practise questions from TES by someone usually very good so surprised (but reassured!)

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Help please - I can’t understand why this reduction to linear form question says “gradient b” rather than “gradient log b”? (Excuse messy working - trying to explain to my son for his Add Maths in a spare 3 mins before dinner!) I don’t have access to the solutions. Thanks! #Alevelmaths

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Do you know where #MathsConf41 is going to be held yet? And the date? (Assume mid-June) Need to get planning!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Really interesting. How do you cope with the reduction of time revisiting GCSE topics when you do still have students who come in with a grade 5?

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

I'd be really interested to see that, please blog!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

I find it so weird - I moved to an 11-16 sch just after the new spec was introduced, so didn't teach it until last year and I'm continually wondering why the "new" books are in such a rubbish order! Does Dr Frost have a specific SoW? I often use his standard chapter ppts, but they follow the book.

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

yes we do need to look at this I think. Our sixth form has rapidly expanded and we now need to be a lot more careful in what we teach when.

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

As my colleague has nicked my copy of Teaching A Level Maths @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social @mrsouthernmaths.bsky.social, I need ideas for introducing hypothesis testing (edexcel stats y1) pls. My class are v mixed and I think will need lots of support with this. Any ideas pls? #ALevelMaths

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Yes I always use this method. It does seem a bit arbitrary but is standard. Annoys me a bit when in GCSE they say "add 1 and halve" as I don't think that helps.

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Reposted by Deb Friis

Catriona Agg @catrionaagg.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

And if you have seen any of my #MathsToday posts over the last few years, you’ll already have an idea of how great our shared resources are. We have lots of involvement with @vennmathshub.bsky.social too. Plus you get to work with really lovely people, and enjoy the occasional Waffle Friday 🧇

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I'm thinking of using AI to mark weekly with that I would normally get them to mark themselves - hopefully for a bit more accountability. Also hoping it to give feedback on presentation and effort etc. Just have to work out the most efficient way to organise it!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

This is a real problem for us. We have a load of Ss who came in on a 6, and whilst I support that in theory, unfortunately they are also the ones that need to go slower on lessons, and do the least work outside, and it is really hard to keep them on track

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

It's been really useful, particularly for stats, even though I've been teaching for years. But my colleague who is new to A Level has nicked it annoyingly! But it!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Aha! And a fellow dressmaker! Lovely to meet you!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

I had to give my y12s a geography lesson this year as a couple of them didn't know where Cornwall was for the Large Data Set questions. And they are terrible at thinking logically about context.

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Anyone else going to the AMSP #ALevelMaths problem solving conference at the NCVO in London today?

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

When I was a student I used to get a cheap coach from London to uni in Newcastle. It used to pull into a tiny service station at Leeming where the driver's wife would get on and sell sandwiches wrapped in clingfilm. Proud to say I have actually been there!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Thanks the topic tests are a good shout

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Anyone know of any resources for the new Edexcel Extended Maths Certificate please? My son is sitting it and as it’s new we can’t find much - except on Twinkl (well done @mrmattock.bsky.social )!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

It seems that @casiojapan.bsky.social have changed their calculator again, just when we'd almost got used to the new one, and loads of kids have them. Now there is another different model to deal with - apparently the S-D key is back! Not fair.

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

I do think some of this is pressure from school target setting - they come to you in maths with a target of a 6 (albeit aspirational) and it is really hard to say in y10 well you have to do Foundation and you can only get up to a 5. At least at H they have a chance of a 6

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

And why are edexcel grade boundaries so variable?

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Yes this is what I feel. There is still a real thought that AQA is more accessible though. And even if boundary hike last year is due to easier paper, surely there's something in the psychology of a student needing loads more marks to get the next grade (ie they can't just : make it to the staples")

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Yes agree, but got to convince HoD!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Big Q: my HoD is worried that given the #edexcel grade boundary hike last yr (esp at G6) more schs might put more kids in for F rather than H, and this will hike grade boundaries yet again. He is considering moving to #AQA. I know it should be fair, but poss isn’t? Thoughts please! #mathstoday

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

In #mathstoday I’ve been desperately trying to find some short videos I remember on the maths needed in various careers, aimed at KS3/4 (rather than A Level which I can find on AMSP @meimaths.bsky.social ) I’m sure one featured Grove Lodge Vets in Brighton. Any ideas anyone pls? Or similar?

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

I think he secretly likes matrices!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

My son's school did last year, they have AddMa as an option, and so put them all in for L2FM as well! This year they don't put them all in but my son wants to do both for some reason

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

In #mathstoday I discovered that the @cambridgeocr.bsky.social Add Maths FSMQ and paper 2 of @aqaeducation.bsky.social L2 Further Maths are both pm of June 15th, with Physics GCSE in the morning. Now I know not many candidates will sit both but surely there will be some? Seems like poor planning!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

In #mathstoday my further mathematicians told me it was their favourite A Level as "it makes us realise how everything links up" 😁😁 #ALevelMaths

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

I'll have a look at what I've got

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Compare 6/5 and 7/6. Both 1 and a bit... so compare 1/5 and 1/6. 1/5 is larger as the pieces are larger (I explicitly discuss this with students now) so 6 miles in 5 mins is faster

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Are you teaching it alongside GCSE or on its own? I think the different contexts mean that one scheme rarely works for anyone.

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Thanks. 2017 was a bad time to take a break from teaching A Level! 🤣

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Can I just check please, has skew now gone from Edexcel @ALevelMaths ?

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

I sew and crochet which both use quite a bit of maths, especially whilst altering patterns or working out how to construct things (I'm not just talking counting stitches and measuring) But they wouldn't be called maths hobbies.

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

I wish I could have gone to it but it clashed with my own unfortunately!

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Deb Friis @runningstitch314.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

I usually start with the abcd grid and ask them what they notice, so I sort of lead them in that direction (or in fact I've started with 2 digit numbers before I think)

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