CAT Multiply Adult Numeracy Project

The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is seeking a maths specialist with experience of developing and delivering maths sessions in the secondary education sector, to support the development of an innovative maths programme, within the context of green skills training. Held at our world-leading education centre, the courses will be delivered to small groups of adults from Powys who are working towards National Numeracy Level 2 and will offer an engaging pathway to improved functional maths skills, through practical application in an immersive environment. The contract is for a maths specialist to develop the maths content for these sessions. Delivery of these sessions will be by CAT staff.This Multiply project is funded through UK Shared Prosperity Fund, from the funding allocation for Powys County Council.CAT’s specialist education team will increase participants confidence in using maths, through three thematic lenses – Energy, Biodiversity and Sustainable Construction. CAT’s hands-on approach and unique setting will offer learners a new way to experience maths education practically, with the goal of developing their confidence in using applied numeracy skills.For this project, CAT will develop a six-week applied maths course for a small cohort of adult learners (approx. 12 per course) who will study on site at our centre for one day a week. Using the context of green skills training, the course will increase participants confidence in using functional numeracy, improving their ability to use day to day maths in real-world scenarios. CAT aims to deliver the 6-week course three times across 2024, working with a different cohort each time.CAT is seeking external expertise to develop the maths teaching element for CAT to use as part to the practical activities CAT will develop and deliver. CAT will translate the core training materials into Welsh, to enable and encourage bi-lingual learning. The external consultant will then support CAT in training its staff to deliver the maths element of the themes.Course development must be informed by National Numeracy guidelines and take into consideration that learners are likely to be working at Level 1 maths ability and working towards Level 2, i.e. individuals must be able to identify and act on mathematical information embedded in a range of common contexts where the mathematical content is fairly clear or visual. The aim is to give them the learners the foundations to move closer to this level. Tasks will tend to require the application of two or more steps, such as the following:- Processes involving calculation with whole numbers and common decimals.- Percentages and fractions.- Simple measurement and spatial representation.- Estimation.- Interpretation of relatively simple data and statistics in texts, tables and graphs.At the beginning of each of the six sessions, the CAT staff tutor will undertake a pre-teaching portion of the day, to go through the maths skills and terms that will be used in the session, ensuring learner preparedness, begin familiarisation and reduce feelings of frustration or failure. Up to an hour would be set aside for this at each session. This would also be an opportunity for learners to assess their knowledge and confidence before the session, time for a pre-teaching self-assessment survey having been built in. Knowledge and confidence will then be reviewed at the end of the topic to understand the progress made by each participant.The target audience for these sessions are young people, 19 years and older, who have not yet achieved the required level of competency or confidence in numeracy but have an interest in learning through real-life contexts and through the medium of environmental education. Learners will be working towards a Functional Skills level 2 maths qualification, so will be working at Level 1.Contract Deliverables:1) Undertake an initial site visit to understand the capacity of the CAT site to support practical learning around the key themes of energy, sustainable building and biodiversity.2) Working with the CAT team identify the opportunities to develop functional maths learning informed by the National Numeracy guidelines through project-based learning and activities through the lenses of energy, sustainable construction and biodiversity.3) Produce lesson plans, notes and teaching resources for each of the three project themes, designed to be delivered by CAT staff over two onsite sessions for each theme.4) Undertake a one-day site visit to deliver a day familiarisation and training session for the CAT staff who will be responsible for delivering the practical activities.The 6 sessions will be split into three thematic modules, two sessions per module:Module 1: EnergyThis will cover two sustainable energy sub themes, ‘Power Down’ , looking at energy use in the home and ‘Power Up’ covering renewable energy generation. Potential maths skills opportunities include data collection and interpretation, statistics, number systems, algebra, and units.Module 2: Sustainable Construction:This topic will be taught across two simple construction themed activities and potential maths skills opportunities include number systems, estimating, angles and proportions.Module 3: Biodiversity:This will be taught across two sessions, utilising CAT’s the variety of habitats on the CAT site and applying ecological recording and mapping techniques. Potential maths skills opportunities include sampling, data collection, estimating, geometry, space shape and position and measurement.Contract TimelineThe Multiply project funding is time limited and therefore CAT is looking to appoint this contract by the close of week commencing March 4th. Development of materials and delivery of staff training must be completed by week ending April 19th.