Following the relatively disappointing performance of our year 11 pupils in their GCSE mathematics Handling Data coursework task, I was prompted to think about how one could avoid it happening again in future years. It was clear that whilst our pupils were able to produce excellent algebraic investigations, they simply did not possess the many high level data handling skills of planning, reasoning, discussing and justifying. It was clear also that the staff were relatively inexperienced in managing such a project. Both staff and pupils needed the opportunity to gain the experience required, but this wasn't going to be a problem that was easily solved in the short term. By working with pupils in years 7 and 8 and getting them to put together a cohesive data handling project, involving all the skills identified above, we could establish good practice across the faculty. Eventually it is hoped that, by repeating the process year on year, the pupils will have gained the necessary skills to successfully complete a project of their own and the staff will have gained the necessary experience of how to manage such a project (a quite different management technique compared to an algebraic investigation).
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