Creating thinking classrooms
It is a pleasure to once again host our annual Jurassic Maths Hub Conference. This year’s Conference is titled ‘Creating thinking classrooms’. The Conference will offer the chance to explore the conditions for mathematical thinking as a teacher and a learner. With two Key Note Speakers, Ruth Trundley and Geoff Wake who will both look at key ideas in this theme.
The 2025 conference will take place on the 20th June at Taunton Racecourse. The event will start at 10am, with arrivals welcome from 9.30. We are offering places on a first come first served basis. Ticket price £50, to include refreshments and lunch.
The first 10 bookings will receive a copy of “Equity in Education” by Lee Elliot Major and Emily Briant.
The Conference is an opportunity for teachers and leaders of Mathematics at all phases from EYFS through to Post 16 to work collaboratively. We aim to provide space for educators to think mathematically and reflect on their role as professional development leads of mathematics and as classroom practitioners. This year our focus is on creating thinking classrooms. The Conference will offer the chance to explore conditions for mathematical thinking and learners and teachers (as learners) thinking. Participants will work in phase specific groups and then cross phase groups to explore how we might support making thinking more visible in the classroom.
Key Note Speakers:
Exploring the conditions for mathematical thinking in the classroom
Starting from the belief that thinking is at the heart of mathematics and therefore should be at the heart of mathematics teaching and learning, this session will explore the conditions for mathematical thinking. How do we provide opportunities for learners to both genuinely think for themselves and collaboratively build thinking? What are the teacher moves that contribute to providing and capitalising on these opportunities? Together, we will explore examples from a range of contexts and aim to distil the common features.
Dr Ruth Trundley
Biography
Ruth is a primary teacher who taught in England and Canada before taking up the role of Mathematics Adviser, based in Devon. Her work is underpinned by a belief that thinking is at the heart of mathematics and therefore should be at the heart of mathematics teaching and learning and this informs all areas of her work including designing and leading professional development programmes and writing materials. Her research interests are many and varied and she has developed and led numerous action-research projects including ones focussed on pre-teaching and assigning competence, executive function in maths and understanding number lines; her doctorate focussed on the development of counting in pre-school children. She is the Jurassic Maths Hub Primary and Early Years Lead, chair of the National Association of Mathematics Advisers, a trustee of the Joint Mathematics Council and of the Collaborative Lesson Research UK charity (which works with leading Japanese professors to support professional development in the UK through lesson study), Visiting Fellow in Mathematics Education at Loughborough University and co-chair of BCME10, which is planned for October 2026.
Developing learners’ thinking in lessons and teachers’ thinking about learning
In this session I aim to explore both learners and teachers (as learners) thinking and how we might support making thinking more visible in the classroom that allow productive professional discussions. I will draw on the TRU framework developed as part of the Mathematics Assessment Project based in California and Nottingham.
Geoff Wake
Biography
Geoff is emeritus professor of mathematics education at the University of Nottingham, where his research currently focuses on the mathematically disadvantaged and collaborative lesson research. In the long tradition of task design and development at Nottingham he has always had a focus on curriculum and assessment that connects mathematics to its use beyond mathematics as a domain of study. Over many years he has been involved in curriculum specification that has promoted the potential application of mathematics in situations that arise from work, study and society.
Breakout Sessions:
Please bring a fully charged laptop (not smartphone) to use during these sessions.
Breakout session 1: Creating thinking classrooms:
These phase specific breakout sessions will explore how teachers can support pupils to genuinely think for themselves.
Delegates should choose the phase relevant to them:
- Early Years and Key Stage 1
- Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3
- Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5
Breakout Session 2: Cross phase
Delegates will be able to choose from three workshops:
- The role of board work as a tool for thinking
- Collaborative professional learning
- Equitable classrooms
BOOKING CLOSES 9 JUNE 2025
