Resources made for very low ability SEN pupils to use in secondary maths lessons - identifying and matching simple shapes. May also be similarly useful with nursery age pupils. Identifying Shapes worksheets have a number of simple pictures composed from component shapes. Pupils must cut and stick cards labelling the shapes, matching these correctly. Sheets go in order of least challenging (matching exact like to like) to more challenging (matching type of shape to type of shape, without exact correspondence). Shapes cards are for matching with the corresponding section of the relevant worksheet. Higher challenge comes from matching shapes of different sizes, rather than those of identical correspondence. Further challenge can be found in the second set of shape cards, in which pupils must match very irregular shapes with their standard forms - prompted to do so by counting and comparing number of sides.

An assortment of Excel resources I created to help with teaching KS3/4 Mathematics to SEN pupils who needed a lot of repetition, practice and over-learning. As such, these worksheets randomly self-generate, meaning every new iteration presents a new challenge. Therefore, you can print out thirty unique worksheets to eliminate the chance of pupils copying over each other’s shoulders, or assign the same activity multiple times with new content, for classes who need extra practice, or assessment purposes later in the year. Almost all worksheets have three levels of differentiation, with easy, medium and hard levels of difficulty/complexity, as separate Excel sheet tabs. Every sheet can be easily refreshed by pressing F9, to completely regenerate a new set of problems. With some sheets, you may want/need to add a learning objective, title, name or date to the top. My pupils tended to write this on for themselves, copied from a standard board in the classroom, so it isn’t always included as default. It’s easy enough to modify these documents for your own purposes, however, adding headers or footers or editing any blank cell shouldn’t have any effect on the functionality of the spreadsheets. Of course, you don’t necessarily need to print these out at all - some I would use as part of a smartboard display, and simply write over the top. The following topic areas are included in this pack (in no particular order): Calculating fractions of an amount; Converting both ways between mixed and improper fractions; Identifying equivalent fractions; Simplifying fractions; Calculating one number as a percentage of another; Inequalities to be represented on a numberline; Solving inequalities (potentially before representing); Finding the Nth term for different linear sequences; Finding the Highest Common Factor; Recognising odd and even numbers; Estimating the correct answer to addition and multiplication sums; Multiplying and dividing by different factors of ten; Finding the prime factors of a number; Times tables test; Rounding to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000; Calculate and identify a given fraction of a given length; Simplifying algebraic equations by collecting like terms.

Some step by step prompt worksheets I produced while teaching Post-16 pupils on a Traineeship course, going through the process of producing a personal statement and preparing for an interview. The aim was to break this down into the smallest possible steps, scaffolding the process of thinking of ideas, and putting these together towards a final goal. These may be suitable for any kind of employability context, especially with pupils who are struggling with employability basics and need some extra guidance thinking around this area. These resources are not differentiated, and could be thought of as already offering a higher level of support. As such they could possibly be used as lower ability differentiation in any careers lesson around employability.

A set of simple written prompt sheets I created, taking pupils step by step through some of the processes required to solve basic linear equations when engaging with algebra for the first time. Also included is a worksheet using a ‘balance scale’ analogy I used to use when first introducing the topic, to make sense of the approach of ‘doing the same thing to both sides’. All prompts include step by step examples, and are then illustrated by a few equivalent questions for pupils to solve themselves by following the exact same method. Set One: How to solve basic linear equations (such as 2x + 3 = 7) by rearranging. Set Two: How to solve equations with Xs on both sides, by rearranging/elimination. Set Three: How to multiply out (and solve) equations including brackets. Scales Worksheet: A set of problems illustrated by drawings of balance scales, and in which pupils are encouraged to draw their own scales to help conceptualise the problems. These resources may work well as homework, revision or independent study materials, or for SEN pupils who need concrete and very simple prompt materials at their desk to follow through step by step. There are no differentiated levels of complexity, beyond the three tiers of sheets themselves. It is assumed that before engaging with these materials, pupils will already have been introduced to the concept of simplifying by combining like terms, along with the basic algebraic principle that a letter can represent an unknown number (they don’t introduce either of these concepts).

A set of resources designed to help secondary SEN pupils get to grips with telling the time, comparing times expressed in different formats, and recognising the passage of time between two points. Resources 2 and 3 have multiple ‘challenge levels’ for differentiation and extension purposes. 1 and 4 are perhaps more suitable for starter and extension tasks respectively. Resource 4 is more of a reflection and discussion exercise, to help lead pupils towards recognising the significance of time and measurements of time in terms of their own lives. While designed for secondary SEN, I’m sure these resources may have possible application in a Primary setting, dealing with time, as well.

A little self-randomising times-tables test utility I’m particularly pleased with for some reason. It’s a simple 10x10 tables grid, which randomly blanks out half its boxes and leaves the other half blank to be filled in. The pupils seem to particularly like them that way, and responded well to having a limited random arrangement to test themselves on as a starter every lesson (I’d also often get them to colour code their boxes, green, yellow or red, depending on how quickly and easily they were able to complete them). I’d suggest using as a easy timed starter. Bear in mind you can very quickly generate thirty distinct and separate ones, to ensure every pupil has their own unique one, and thus cut down on ‘over the shoulder’ copying. Just press F9 in Excel to update the random grid. Note: This is included in my larger collection of all my self-randomising Excel worksheets.

Some resources I created when teaching place value, and using partitioning approaches for long addition and subtraction. No differentiation included - I think this was originally used with very small groups of similar ability. All basic stuff, anyway - in my case I was using it as revision/clarification of concept with SEN groups, rather than to teach the ideas for the first time. Could be useful for KS1/2 as well, I’m sure. Feel free to use or adapt however you might like.

Discussion prompt sheets I made, to be used with small groups, to consider their opening knowledge of concepts key to understanding George Orwell’s ‘1984’ (which I studied with my GCSE group) and Anne Holm’s ‘I am David’ (which I studied with my KS3 group). Predictably, most individuals knew very little, but I encouraged groups to combine their knowledge and even compare and discuss between tables, to help get the most definitive response possible. It was very effective, in my opinion, and seemed to engage the pupils far more when it came to ultimately discussing with the teacher about the ‘key concepts’ and what these might have to do with the novels we were about to read. It also seemed to be a good way of focusing the young people’s attention on some of the things they would need to consider and pick up on in response to these novels. You could potentially return to these as you went along, to reflect on what you have learned, or what the novel really does seem to have to suggest about the concepts. In terms of outcomes, this is probably more of a luxury lesson, for engaging and focusing young people’s attention, and priming them for later analysis. It does however relate to the curriculum with regard to understanding the purpose and context of the texts in support of comprehension, which would be the relevant learning objective for such a lesson. These sheets were originally supported by a number of images from the internet, but I have deleted these as I’m afraid I couldn’t be certain about their original copyright. I’m sure it would be possible to get your own image prompts to replace these for key concepts, if desired.

I made this list of terms for GCSE pupils to make sure they knew and could define, coming up to exams. They are what I might consider the ‘key essentials’ for use in essay writing and exam responses. This sheet might work well as a homework or independent study guide, getting pupils to fill in their own definitions, then check their understanding with each other in class, or against a standard glossary.

Some sheets I made while working with SEN pupils at GCSE level, who were having a lot of trouble getting in depth when it came to analysis of fiction texts such as ‘1984’. I created these prompt sheets to scaffold them through the process in an introductory way, with as much of a step-by-step breakdown as I could. They were more to get pupils thinking and talking about the kind of things they’d need to think about, than a final framework to teach them to apply in the actual exam. The second sheet was an attempt at a simplified/improved version that was slightly easier and more attractive to work with, for those pupils who really didn’t get on with the first one.