First QEF Maths Common Assessment Paper launches

Queenstown Education Foundation is a non-profit company aimed at transforming the Eastern Cape town of Komani (formerly known as Queenstown) into a universally-recognised centre of educational excellence through cost efficient technological advancements, multi-school STEM Clubs, and Maths and Science Communities of Practice. Within its network are 10 subscriber, member and affiliate schools.

Although Common Assessment Papers already exist (for example IEB’s Core Competencies exam and the Conquesta Exams), the QEF Gr 7 Common Assessment is unique in that it is the result of a development process that fostered inter-school dialogue and cross-learnings between Gr 7 and Gr 8 Maths teachers teaching at various schools within the same town. The same process will ensure that the Common Assessment Task Team can analyse its results together and devise ways to assist each other strengthen in areas that are weak.

During its formation, the subject of the teachers’ discussions was centered around the guiding question: How do we create exceptional confidence around matric maths?

The process started in June this year, included 20 maths teachers in a Community of Practice and discussed what maths textbooks, topics, skills, competencies and attitudes would empower learners to most confidently enter Gr 8 maths and go on to succeed in their matric maths.

These topics will deepen next year with what the foundation hopes will be more opportunity to meet face-to-face.

The QEF paper covers the total year’s syllabus and each Gr 7 teacher chose for themselves whether to use it only, or in conjunction with their own year-end paper. Each school remains autonomous in this. Much of the Gr 8 intake of QEF-affiliated high schools comes from local QEF-affiliated primary schools. The paper is, however, not intended as a tool to assess promotion to Gr 8.

The scripts are now in the process of being marked and moderated by Gr 7 teachers Mathews Koshy (Queen’s College Boys’ Primary School), Roche de Villiers (Laerskool Hangklip Primary), Karen Coetzer (Balmoral Girls’ Primary School), Cheroldine Morrison (Q GAP), Ryan Nel (Southbourne Primary), Sandra Prinsloo (Stepping Stone Primary) and Patrick Aadejei (Whit GAP).