TWO teachers from Shanghai visited Gorse Hill Primary School to show pupils and staff how maths is taught on the other side of the world.

Youngsters from the school learned fractions in lessons taught by Jinjin Wei and Qijing Zhang.

Even the teachers learned a thing or two – 150 of them came from schools across Swindon to observe the different teaching methods and take notes.

Shanghai is renowned for its excellent maths teaching in primary schools and produces some of the best results in the world.

The Chinese teachers were at the school for two weeks as part of the Shanghai Maths Showcase, which was an exchange hosted by the White Horse Federation and made possible by the Boolean Maths Hub in Bristol.

It all began when Suzanne Mathews visited Shanghai in September and brought back new ways to improve her lessons and help her Year 5 pupils learn maths.

Miss Wei and Mr Zhang came to Swindon to complete the exchange.

Suzanne said: “The teachers teach the lessons in tiny steps that are carefully crafted to make sure that everyone is at the same level of understanding before they move on to the next step.

“We were very intrigued by their lesson design and it makes such a difference, it’s given the children more confidence.

“It’s not just rote learning. The teachers insist on a deep understanding of the concepts.

“They’re always asking ‘Why?’ and ‘What does this mean?’ and always reviewing what’s been learned.

“The discussions we had with them afterwards were really useful.

“There are a lot of ways we can apply their ideas in our own lessons.”

Pupils enjoyed experiencing a different take on their usual maths lessons.

George said: “Three weeks ago I wasn’t a big fan of maths but now I am. I liked it, although sometimes it’s hard.”

Aleyna said: “I was really happy and very excited when the teachers came in.”

Cristian said: “I liked it a lot and learned new things.”

Hannah Gordon, Gorse Hill Primary School’s interim headteacher, said: “It’s been an absolutely amazing experience for everyone involved.

“It’s wonderful to see first-hand how they craft and deliver lessons, it’s almost like an art form.

“We will revisit and reflect on what we have learned for a long time.”

The exchange has been hosted in Swindon for the first time – it is usually held in Bristol.

Dr Nick Capstick OBE, CEO of the White Horse Federation said: “It is a privilege to host Jinjin and Zhang here in Swindon and to learn from their approach to teaching maths.

“The showcase events will provide teachers in the area with a unique insight into different techniques and give them the opportunity to discuss their thoughts with fellow colleagues.

“As we have Swindon Teaching Schools as part of the White Horse Federation, we will also be developing teacher training materials so that future generations of maths teachers can learn and develop from this as well.”