If you are reading this section, you have probably received a letter from us – via your child’s school – about their participation in our research study.
Below you will find information about the study and what the Year 8 pupil survey involves. There is also a section for parents/guardians of Year 13 students. We understand that you may have questions or concerns about your child's participation, so we have included some key information documents as well as frequently asked questions. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for, please do get in contact with us using the contact details provided in the letter.
What is the Observatory for Mathematical Education?
The Observatory is a research centre based at the University of Nottingham with a focus on mathematics education in England. We received funding in November 2023 to establish the Observatory and to deliver our main piece of work, the cohort studies. Our aim is to improve mathematics education for children in the future.
What is the secondary cohort study?
Starting in 2024, the secondary cohort study follows one cohort of pupils from Year 7 to Year 11/Year 13 in a representative sample of state-funded schools in England. Each year, pupils and their teachers will be surveyed to find out about their mathematics learning and teaching. We will use this information to build a picture of maths education in England and use this information to inform future policy and practice.
What are you asking my Year 8 child to do?
We are asking all children in your child’s Year 8 class to complete a short paper survey about their mathematics learning. Once all children have completed the survey, the answers will be sent back to us and pseudonymised, so your child’s responses cannot be identified. Your child’s answers will not be shown to anyone at the school. The survey does not assess your child’s mathematical ability or ask them any maths problems. Your child can stop at any time and choose not to answer some of all questions if they do not want to.
I don’t want my Year 8 child to participate. What do I do?
You should have received a letter from your child's school which includes information on how to withdraw your child. This will have been sent using your school's usual method. If you have not received this letter, please get in touch with your child's school. If you do not understand the withdrawal process, please get in contact with the Observatory using the contact details in the letter.
If my child participates in Year 8, do they have to take part next year?
We will write to you every year of the study to give you the option to withdraw your child. You can withdraw your child at any time and they will not be asked to participate in future years.
I withdrew my child last year. Do I need to withdraw them again?
No. We will notify your school that your child has been withdrawn and ask them not to give them a survey to complete.
My child took part last year. Do they have to take part this year?
No, you can withdraw your child from the study at any time.
What are you asking my Year 13 child to do?
All children in your child’s Year 13 A level Mathematics class are being invited to complete a short online survey about their mathematics learning. Once all children have completed the survey, the answers will be sent back to us and pseudonymised, so your child's responses cannot be identified. Your child's answers will not be shown to anyone at the school. The survey does not assess your child's mathematical ability or ask them any maths problems. Your child can stop at any time and choose not to answer some or all questions if they do not want to.
What will you do with the results of the surveys?
The results of the surveys will be pseudonymised and then analysed for trends. The pseudonymisation process involves removing any information that could personally identify an individual's responses, for example, their name. We replace this with a unique code, so that if a participant withdraws at a later date, we can remove their data from our dataset.