TEACHERS from Shanghai have been welcomed to a Bradford primary school as part of an international exchange to improve how maths is taught.

Newhall Park Primary works with the West Yorkshire “maths hub” which is based at Trinity MAT in Halifax.

It is part of a government funded scheme to improve how the vital subject is taught in the UK.

Through its role as a hub, the school has welcomed two specialist maths teachers from Shanghai to visit Bradford, see how maths is taught in the UK, and share techniques.

The visit has been organised by the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and is part of a push to share “mastery” in the subject.

From last week the two teachers, Miss Chen and Miss Zhou, have been at the Bierley school working with a Year 2 and a Year 5 class, teaching multiplication and fractions.

Starting today, they will take part in the first of two Shanghai Showcases, where teachers from across the region can speak to the teachers and learn their techniques.

Chris Conway a mastery specialist teacher who works at Newhall Park, said: “As part of the mastery in mathematics, we are looking at good practice from all different parts of the world.

“We are looking at different approaches to teaching the subject, about how people do things differently.

“We have visitors from different schools in the area, with two sets coming in every day. We’re also doing a showcase as part of the West Yorkshire Maths Hub to widen the understanding of the subject. We are looking at how you can explain mathematical concepts in a variety of different ways.

“Our role as a maths hub sees us visiting different schools and sharing good practice, as well as teachers coming here and observing lessons.

“There are 35 maths hubs around the country, and we are part of the West Yorkshire hub.

“The teachers from Shanghai are here this week, and in September myself and Mike Clayton from Glusburn Primary went to Shanghai.

“We were observing teachers there and how they teach maths. There are some differences. You observe the successes they have in other parts of the world with the aim of bringing those successes here.

“We work with schools around the area.”

There are 35 Maths Hubs spread across England, each led by a school with a record of high achievement in maths. The lead school supports improvements in maths teaching and learning in neighbouring schools.

The Department of Education is providing £41 million for the programme over four years.

Schools in Shanghai are famed for their teaching of mathematics, with the city’s children topping the global table in maths during specialist tests, beating UK, USA, Singapore, Japan and Germany.

Primary School teachers in Shanghai teach just one subject each, and train for five years to teach specific age groups teaching specific age groups.

The teachers typically take just two lessons each day, spending the rest of their time helping students who need extra support and discussing teaching techniques with colleagues.

In secondary schools the Shanghai teachers spend more time planning and refining lessons than they to do in the classroom.