The annual cycle for the Primary Cohort Study will be similar each year.

Benefits, support and incentives

Engaging in ground-breaking research can be highly rewarding, and school leaders report that they are eagerly anticipating the publication of the Observatory’s annual reports as this will provide them with evidence about primary mathematics education in England that will inform their thinking.

Schools are, however, busy places so the Primary Cohort Study is designed to be as straight forward and burden-free as possible. Instruction videos and guides are provided for staff so they can quickly understand what they need to do. There is also a short video and information sheet for children so that they understand what is being asked of them.

There is an annual incentive payment of £600 made to each primary school to support teaching and learning in mathematics. In addition, for the first three years of the cohort study, larger payments are made to cover the cost of Teaching Assistant time to support the children to complete the survey (depending on the pupil cohort size).

The Observatory’s commitment to research partner primary schools:

• Make an annual payment to each school when all surveys are complete
• Provide clear and accessible information and instructions to ensure smooth running of the study
• Send paper surveys for pupils to each school annually and provide prepaid return packaging
• Provide annual, anonymised reports from the cohort study. We intend to build a data dashboard that will enable Research Partners to explore schools similar to their own
• Ensure the highest standards of data security and confidentiality

Research partner primary schools’ commitments to the research.

• Make arrangements for a teaching assistant or other appropriate adult to complete a short survey with each child in each of the first three years of the study (Reception to Year 2)
• From Year 3-6, enable pupils to complete a short paper survey during one lesson each year
• Mathematics subject leaders complete a short online survey once per year
• Support class teachers to complete a short online survey once per year
• Send a letter annually to parents to inform them about the research and how they can withdraw their child. This letter will contain a link to a survey for parents in some years
• Provide class lists and limited data for the pupils in the cohort study (name, DOB, URN) through the Observatory’s secure portal, once each year

Case study schools

From the 200 schools in the Primary Cohort Study, 20 will be invited to become case study schools. This will involve a small number of visits to the school each year by members of the Observatory team.  These visits would include interviews with staff (e.g. the Mathematics Subject Leader, class teachers) and, where possible, the observation of one or two mathematics lessons. The case studies will enable the team to explore mathematics teaching and learning issues in more depth than is possible in surveys, including the reasons why teachers and leaders make the decisions that they do about mathematics education. The additional activities appear on this diagram of the annual cycle for case study schools.

Primary Expert Advisory Panel

A panel of experts is supporting the design and delivery of the Observatory’s ambitious Primary Cohort Study. These are individuals with experience and expertise at system, trust, school and subject leader level in primary mathematics education.

The Primary Expert Advisory Panel meets three times a year to:

• Inform the OME team about developments, successes and challenges in primary school mathematics
• Advise on the design of the research methods (e.g. survey questions) in the Primary Cohort Study
• Advise on the operational challenges related to the Primary Cohort Study
• Receive reports and comment on the analysis of the data from the Primary Cohort Study

For school leaders

My school has mixed-age classes. Will we still be able to be a Research Partner School?

Yes. We will only ask the pupils in the cohort year group to complete the pupil survey each year. It is important that schools with mixed-age classes are include in the Primary Cohort Study.

We are a small school and do not know our pupil numbers for 2024-5 yet. Can we still be a Research Partner School if our numbers are lower than expected?

Yes, it is important for small schools to be represented in the Primary Cohort Study. We have deliberately included small schools in the sample and understand that it will not be possible for schools to predict the number of pupils in their cohort.

We are due to have an Ofsted inspection in the near future. Should we decline the invitation in case the inspection falls on the same week as the pupil survey?

No. If there is a reason that the pupil survey cannot be administered in the planned week for any reason including school inspection then it can take place when practically possible after that.

We are due to academise or join a new multi-academy trust shortly. Will this affect our ability to participate in the Primary Cohort Study?

No. Your school can continue to participate under your new arrangements.

Our head teacher is going to change in the next year. Can we still accept the invitation to be a Research Partner School?

Yes. Being a Research Partner School should not be time intensive or burdensome. If a future school leader should decide that they do not want to continue participating in the primary cohort study then they can withdraw the school, however, we feel confident that they will see the benefits and recognise that the research activities are manageable.

We have high levels of pupil mobility in our school. Can we still participate?

Yes. You will receive clear instructions on what to do if a pupil has left the school (tick a box on their survey sheet) or a new pupil has joined the school (give them one of the spare survey sheets). Pupil turnover is to be expected in schools, so we want schools with higher and lower levels of pupil turnover to be Research Partner Schools.

We are unable to take part this year but might be interested in taking part next year. If we decline this year, can we take part next year instead?

No. As this is a longitudinal study, we are requesting that each school begin participation in 2024/25 and continue for the following six academic years.

For teachers and teaching assistants

I have children with complex special needs in my class. How will they access the survey?

They can attempt to answer some or all of the survey questions, with adult support. If they are unable to understand the questions then they do not need to complete the survey.

I have a mixed-age class. Do all of the children in the class complete the pupil survey?

No. Only the children in the cohort study year group complete pupil survey. This is Reception in 2024-25, Year 1 in 2025-26, etc.

We have a number of persistent absentees in this cohort. If a child is absent when we do the pupil survey, will we need to commit to them completing the survey when they are next in school?

If a child is absent, then they do not complete the pupil survey. You will not need to commit staffing for absentees to complete the survey at a later date.

I have a child/children in my class who understands very little English. How will they access the pupil survey?

If there are specific words that the child does not understand, then the adult can change the wording so that the child understands the question. If the child does not understand sufficient English to access the questions, then this child should not complete the survey.

How long will it take to complete the pupil survey?

The pupil survey is being designed to take under 15 minutes, although this will vary from child to child. 

Will the child have to complete the pupil survey on their own or will the class teacher or another adult be able to help them?

When children are in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, a teaching assistant or other appropriate adult will read the survey questions to the child and record their responses on the survey sheet. When children are in Years 3-6, all children will complete the sheet for themselves, but adults can read the questions to the children, as needed.

Will I be pressured to complete the teacher survey and will other teachers or school leaders be able to see my responses?

Teachers will be invited to complete a short online survey but it is entirely your choice whether you would like to complete it or not. Your answers will not be shared with anyone else from your school and will be anonymised by the Observatory team. You will not be identified in any published reports.

How will the data be used, and by whom?

The data will be stored securely in a database where all responses are anonymised. Data from all schools will be analysed together to identify patterns, themes and links across the survey responses from the 200 primary schools.  

If my school becomes a case study school, will I be filmed teaching mathematics?

No. We are not planning to video record lessons and will only observe lessons making pen and paper field notes. You do not have to agree to being observed, this is your choice. We will only observe a small number of lessons each year so may not even ask you.

For school office or data managers

When I send class list data to the Observatory, will this be via a secure transfer system?

Yes. The Observatory team will provide clear instructions on how to enter and transfer the data. This will be via a secure system.

Do letters for parents need to be sent out in a specific format?

No. The letters can be emailed, shared via a communications portal or printed and handed out in paper form. Please use whichever system you normally use to send letters to parents.

As an invited Research Partner School, you should already have received these documents:

• Invitation letter
• Infographic one pager about the Primary Cohort Study

After you have accepted your invitation to be a Research Partner School, you will receive a confirmation email requesting that you sign a Memorandum of Understanding.  

When this is signed you are officially a Research Partner School of the Observatory for Mathematical Education. Shortly after this, further documentation will be sent to the school’s nominated key contact explaining some of the key dates. There will then be a quieter period over the Summer with little communication from the OME team. In the autumn term, Observatory staff will make contact with Research Partner schools with instructions prior to starting the study, for example regarding the process for informing parents.  

In the meantime, if you have any questions then please to not hesitate to get in touch with the Observatory team: mathsobservatory@nottingham.ac.uk.