The Nuffield ProjectAuthor(s): Geoffrey MatthewsSource: Mathematics in School, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Nov., 1971), p. 40Published by: The Mathematical AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30210700 .

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The Nuffield project by Geoffrey Matthews

The Nuffield Project The writing team of the Nuffield Project has now finished its work. The project started in 1964 with the aim of providing "a contemporary scheme for children from five to thirteen". It became clear on consulting the pilot areas that primary teachers did not require a definitive set of textbooks - indeed these are quite inappropriate at this level once it has been accepted that children are different and work at different rates and in different ways. Instead the writers evolved a set of teachers' guides, a dozen on central themes (Computation and Structure; Shape and Size; Graphs leading to Algebra) and others on topics (Probability and Statistics, Environmental Geometry, Computers and Young Children, etc.). Teachers have met together at Centres all over the country to criticise the Guides and develop their own schemes of work in more detail: a measure of the success of the project has been the very satisfactory number of "local" guides which have been produced with detailed suggestions for action based on the "national" ones.

For lower secondary children, the problem has been different. So many books and courses on "new maths" are already in existence that it would have been foolish for the project to produce another. Instead we have devised sets of individual problems and "modules of

work" to supplement existing activities and perhaps re-orientate them more towards "method" (how children learn) rather than simply the "content" (what they learn), which has received most of the emphasis in the new texts. The problems are "closed and open", so that there is something definite to do or a question to answer but the excitement will come if the children can generalise, push the problem a bit further than was asked for or make up a similar one of their own (for further details of this idea see my article "Cards, Modules and Kits" in the Mathematical Gazette of May 1970). The "modules" consist of notes for the teacher and cards for the children, each to occupy a group for about a fortnight. Twenty of these modules have been produced, covering topics within the first three secondary years (e.g. Speed and Gradient, Decimals, Vectors, Integers, Similarity).

The published materials of the project are obtainable through booksellers or from W. & R. Chambers, 11 Thistle Street, Edinburgh. The success of the project will be judged over the coming decade by the extent and quality of the work produced all over the country by groups of teachers. A most encouraging fact is that ten regional organisations have been set up, covering the whole country, to encourage and co-ordinate activities in the areas, centres and schools.

The Xlllth International Mathematical

Olympiad was held in Zilina, Czechoslovakia, in July 1971. The contest consisted of two four-hour papers; the maximum mark was 42. Fifteen countries competed, each with a team of eight (except Cuba with a team of four).

The British team total was 110 points, made up of David Allwright (Rugby School) 17, Stuart Bell (Dartford Grammar School) 6, Daniel Edwards (Royal Grammar School, Newcastle) 6, Christopher Hills (Dulwich College) 20, David Jackson (Perse School, Cambridge) 25, Nicholas Marnton (Dulwich College) 7, Angus Rodgers (Royal Belfast Academical) 17, Colin Vout (Dulwich College) 12.

Jackson was awarded a second prize; Allwright, Hills, Rodgers and Vout were awarded third prizes.

The contest is essentially an individual contest. Hungarian competitors took four of the first six places with scores of 42, 39, 38 and 37. The top seven were awarded first prizes.

The totals for countries, given for interest only, were Hungary 255, USSR 205, East Germany 142, Poland 118, Britain and Rumania 110, Austria 82, Yugoslavia 71, Czechoslovakia 55, Holland 48, Sweden 43, Bulgaria 39, France 38, Mongolia 26, Cuba 9.

Schools wishing to enter candidates for the 1972 National Mathematics Contest (from which the IMO team is finally chosen) should contact Mr J. Pitts, Spondon Park School, West Road* Spondon, Derby.

Leaving the aircraft on their return to London are (left to right) Vout, Hills, AIIwright, Jackson and Mr. F. J. Budden, Royal Grammar School, Newcastle.

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