Classroom Secrets review by Ben

Date: 26.04.2022

Review subject: Maths

Phase: Primary

Reviewer: Ben, Headteacher

Review rating:

Average rating across all Classroom Secrets reviews: 4.0/5

How well does it match the curriculum?

Reasonably: It’s good enough for the money, but needs some additional resources

Needs more Qs targeted at the most able and more opportunities to apply previous learning in a deeper way - reasoning and application.

How well does it support your school’s inclusion/diversity/equal opportunities policy?

Reasonably: There is some representation of minorities and no real stereotyping

Couldn't really say - in terms of how does it represent diversity? Not sure that it does but equally not sure that it doesn't.

How well does it support differentiation for the full range of the classes you use it with?

Need more challenge for the most able. More opportunity to practise deeper Qs for all.

How well does it engage and motivate pupils?

Well: Pupils generally enjoy using it and tend to welcome doing so

Children like the familiarity of it and the chance to build up skills.

How well supported is it by accompanying formative assessments?

Reasonably: There is some formative assessment included, but its usefulness is a bit limited

Have to say I haven't used them so couldn't comment yet.

How well does it support planning?

Reasonably: Mostly we can use it without an unreasonable amount of effort or additional resource requirement

Would need to see how it fits into a longer sequence over several years - not looked into this enough yet.

How well does it support home use / independent learning?

Well: Pupils could be expected to use this at home or independently, with a minimum amount of support or additional resources

Parents can access the Qs at home easily enough if sent out.

How would you rate it for value for money compared to similar resources?

Well: It’s worth the money and effort to introduce – more so than many similar resources I’ve seen

Not as expensive as some resources and gives enough Qs for the teachers to use well.

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