ABSTRACT
I finished my PGCE course at Bishop Grosseteste College, Lincoln in the summer of 1987. The training we received as far as maths was concerned was based around the implications of the Cockcroft Report (1982). We were encouraged to approach maths through a topic/theme and provide appropriate activities which very much involved children in their own learning. However, as the prospect of teaching ‘for real’ approached I was worried about some of the implications of this approach. Would I have enough practical ideas? How would I know I was covering everything? How would I be able to structure the work to ensure progression and match the level to different abilities? Maths was the area of the curriculum which worried me most at the end of my training. However, despite these feelings of insecurity, I wanted to establish good relationships with parents and was keen to find a job in a school where parental involvement was seen as important.
